Developmental trauma is the adverse experiences in our developing years: pre-natal, infancy, toddler, childhood, pre-teen, teen, and young adult. It mostly discusses what happens in the home of the child but can also include school experiences and other social engagements. Children are completely dependent on their caregivers and other authority figures while growing. Dysfunction creates deficiencies in our body and mind by imprinting faulty cellular networks where the focus is on survival rather than growth. From our nervous system to our digestion to our muscular system, our bodies become one of protection rather than connection, from the very sources we are supposed to feel safe and secure in. This leads to mental, emotional, physical, and social challenges in both childhood and adult years.
Below are links to information on this trauma.
Article: A new, rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories. By, Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD
As Don Tucker has said: “For the human brain, the most important information for successful development is conveyed by the social rather than the physical en- vironment. The baby brain must begin participating effectively in the process of social information transmission that offers entry into the culture.”
A very typical yet unknown childhood trauma.
“Emotional Neglect is a parent’s failure to respond enough to a child’s emotional needs.
Emotional Neglect is, in some ways, the opposite of mistreatment and abuse. Whereas mistreatment and abuse are parental acts, Emotional Neglect is a parent’s failure to act. It’s a failure to notice, attend to, or respond appropriately to a child’s feelings. Because it’s an act of omission, it’s not visible, noticeable or memorable. Emotional Neglect is the white space in the family picture; the background rather than the foreground. It is insidious and overlooked while it does its silent damage to people’s lives.” – Dr. Jonice Webb, author of “Running on Empty.”
