How do you stop your childhood trauma from affecting the present

Trauma is something that impacts every person differently, and can have a lasting impact on our development and into our adult lives. Depending on what someone experienced, when someone experienced something, and the support (or lack of) that was received before, during and after the experience(s), an individual may go through different outcomes. When trauma is left unresolved, or has not been dealt with in a way that is positive or productive for the person who experienced it, one may continue to feel the effects of it after the fact (sometimes months or years later). This is not the fault of the individual who experienced the trauma. This is how our brains cope with these adverse experiences in the best way that they know how. Often the trauma can creep back up in situations when we least expect it, and this can be overwhelming for most people. Time does not always heal traumatic wounds, and in some instances, seeking professional help or support can be helpful in learning skills that will help you cope with some of those feelings. While we cannot change our past or what we have experienced in our lives, we can always seek out new ways to handle things and build upon our coping skills/tools. Please do not feel that you are "allowing" this to take over different parts of your life. While it may feel that way, know that you do not have a lot of control over this. Our brains and bodies cope with things in the best way that they know how to, and often times that can be in ways that are not healthy or do not suit us. Until we understand this and learn coping skills to deal with everything, it will likely continue to happen and play out in the ways that you are describing. 

I believe that seeking assistance from a trained professional can be extremely helpful when dealing with past trauma. If you are able to engage in therapy in some way, it can be a great tool in overcoming some of these negative effects of trauma that you are experiencing. If you are not ready for trauma work, or you are unable to engage in professional therapy at this time, I have found that educating yourself on trauma and its impact on people can also be very helpful. Often times learning about something that we are experiencing can validate our feelings and give additional meaning to what we are feeling. In most cases, it makes things make a little bit more sense. Luckily, there is a lot of very useful and important information out there on trauma. It has been studied a lot over the last few decades, and we have a lot more knowledge about it (and its effects) now than we ever have before.