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27 Revealing Signs Of Behavior That Indicate Someone Had A Traumatic Childhood
Whether we like it or not, much of our adult lives are directly influenced by the way we grew up.
We may have forgotten about it, or suppressed some memories, but if you were neglected as kid, treated poorly, or not given enough support or attention when you really needed it, it likely has some serious consequences on your personality.
From low self-esteem to attachment issues, there are numerous ways the cracks in childhood can haunt someone.
So when someone posed a question on the Ask Reddit community wondering “What's a sign of childhood trauma?” it immediately resonated with many people. Below we wrapped up the most illuminating and thought-provoking responses.
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#3
Being an "empath." You actually have conditioned yourself to be highly attuned to micro changes that indicate negativity you need to look out for. Also codependency or hyper independence.
#4
Oversharing when you haven’t known the person long OR the opposite where you don’t open up to anybody. Two extremes
#7
Not wanting attention. Not taking photos. No social media. Don't celebrate birthdays. Dont want any awards. Don't want any kind words. Just let me exist, lol.
#8
Extreme self cringe, doubting if what you said was the right thing. Doubting if you acted the right way, or behaved the right way in a social setting. Asking someone several times if you did something correctly. Zoning out because you randomly remembered a traumatic childhood memory, low self esteem, lack of confidence.
#10
Scared of conflict to the point you avoid it at all costs, certain that if it happens the other person will hate you/ it will end awfully. You’ve never seen people calmly sit down and discuss their emotions in a loving way, so that world doesn’t exist.
#11
Perfectionism. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I just always thought I was bad at everything or 'lazy,' when, in fact, I deal with a crippling level of perfectionism.
#13
Inability to form and keep relationships, having sparse or little to no memory of your childhood, eating disorders, depression, social anxiety, agoraphobia, extreme emotional shifts, attachment issues, consistent exhaustion, strong unexplainable reactions towards social stimuli, separation anxiety, gastrointestinal issues and complications, substance abuse and addiction, intrusive thoughts, self-destructive behavior, etc
#14
Constantly apologizing for every little thing. Extreme introversion. Little to no outward emotion. Ability to stay calm in emergencies or chaotic situations.
#15
Constant dark humor or self deprecating humor. Also the ability to totally pretend cr**py things never happened or pretend someone didn't do something awful to you. People might think you're really funny and forgiving but sometimes they are both just coping mechanisms.
#17
Among many of the signs people have posted here, thinking you’re completely responsible for everyone else’s emotions. If someone seems upset, it’s because you think you did something. You constantly try to predict other’s emotions because you grew up in an emotionally unstable living environment. Predicting others emotions was a useful survival tactic at one point, but can add lots of stress later in life and cause you to misinterpret social interactions with other people.
#18
Getting disproportionately frustrated at themselves for small accidents such as spilling things, accidentally breaking something, etc.
What happens is, a lot of these people would be abused as a kid for these things, so as an adult when it happens, their brain overloads their system with fear and anxiety, and frustration can be secondary emotion to that.
So when these things happens, this is basically a conditioned response because your brain associates these accidents with imminent danger.
This is why therapy is so important for people who had s**t childhoods especially during their developing years. I had no idea this was a thing until I went to therapy, but when my therapist explained this to me, it made so much sense. And now when these things happen, I tend to laugh it off.
#19
Always having an escape plan. From the current room, building, or most importantly, current life situation
#20
Choosing partners who don't support, cherish or value you. Choosing jobs and relationships that reflect the lack of empathy and neglect that you grew up with.
#22
An adult acting childlike. People think it's cringe but age regression is a trauma response. You can especially see this is you've ever been to a psych ward. People are clinging to blankets and stuffed animals. Childhood was probably the last time they existed without being traumatized.
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