When we are born we are meant to be loved and protected by the people around us. Our minds are geared for attachment and to keep close to the ones that love and protect us for survival, even if that means sacrificing our true self-expression.
In these developing years we are not built with resources to undergo pain and stress of abuse, we are designed to absorb the environment in order to shape who we become later in life, as adults.
When children are subject to childhood sexual abuse they often grow up with feelings of guilt, shame and anger. These feelings contribute to negative behaviours and are likely to affect the chances of a positive relationship as the understanding of ‘love’ has a very negative meaning.
The traumatized child then goes into survival mode. The blood goes away from the developing brain (Prefrontal Cortex) and into the emotional brain (Limbic System), this leads to a slower developing thinking brain and one that is geared for survival. The nervous system will be easily activated and body based memories can produce unwanted behaviour such as:
- Mistaking sex for love
- Producing pain in genitalia to prevent sex
- Needy behaviour derived from the desire for attachment/protection
- Hyperaroused body seeking dangerous experiences to match the internal trauma
- Release on inhibitory hormones to prevent sexual desire – hypoarousal
- Having fear of intimacy or being close
- Unexplained fear of certain family members or authority figures
- Addictions to alcohol, love, sex, cocaine etc
There are many more symptoms of a traumatized person and manifestations of childhood trauma, the list could go on but these are the more commonly seen behaviours.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study shows that adverse childhood experiences such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse are major risk factors for the leading causes of illness, disability and death as well as poor quality of life.
Quite often it is the body based memories and the sense of inescapability from the original trauma that keeps the trauma active in the body. A sense of completion was never achieved which the body looks for and often reenacts the trauma in the present life, looking for completion, this is rarely achieved and just creates further suffering.
Hypnotherapy for Childhood Abuse / Trauma.
Hypnotherapy can help by going into the core emotions of the trauma and releasing them in order the completely process the experience, then a relearning of new beliefs and behaviours can take place in order for you to successfully be able to live the life you deserve, not one where the past repeats itself but one where the future is limitless!
If you feel your past is getting in the way of your future, then please get in contact, I’d be delighted to help.
“Trauma is not what happens to you, it’s what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you. ”
Gabor Mate
