Can childhood trauma cause PTSD?

In childhood, the brain is in a state of development in which it helps us learn about certainties in the world and ourselves.  Trauma in any form can disrupt this process and shape new beliefs and alter the operation of the entire system. 

Trauma is an experience in which the victim does not have the capacity to cope emotionally.  This is especially the case in childhood, as children are still building their strengths and learning about the world.  When trauma happens, the body goes into fight or flight (the state in which the body prepares to fight off or escape threats), increasing heart rate, the pace of breathing, adrenaline, therefore providing a surge of energy so the victim can survive the experience.  Although this mechanism exists to protect the victim, experiencing something traumatic can keep the victim in a state of perpetual fear that the resulting impacts are not resolved.

While trauma can cause an abundance of issues for children, a common outcome of these experiences is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  PTSD is characterized by intrusive memories of the trauma, heightened sense of fear and emotional responses, nightmares and flashbacks of the event(s), intense avoidance of reminders of the trauma, and elements of depressive symptoms.  Some of these symptoms are the brain’s attempt at processing the original event (nightmares, flashbacks, memories), some exist to maintain balance for the victim (avoidance of triggers), and others to be alert to danger (increased baseline of fear).  Even though the brain and body are working hard to protect the victim, these symptoms can keep the victim from performing academically, socially, emotionally, and/or in work settings. 

Though PTSD is an intense reaction to an intense experience, many treatments are geared toward the reduction/elimination of symptoms and can provide healing over time.  Trauma reprocessing (which can look different for each person) allows the survivor of trauma the opportunity to process emotions, beliefs, and physical sensations related to their experience.  Once the trauma has been fully processed, the body is no longer living in a state of constant fear, and many symptoms will vanish.  Because PTSD fools the brain into believing the victim is still living in the trauma, treatment revolves around bringing the brain back into the safety of the present moment. 

Many people have healed from the effects of trauma.  It can take a lot of support, time, discomfort, and ups and downs but can lead to living a much more fulfilling, enjoyable life.  If the brain can adjust to trauma, the brain can definitely adjust out of it!