Thought for the Week

Timothy D. Stein, MFT, CSAT

February 25, 2013

How Old Do You Feel?

The trauma we experience in childhood significantly impacts our daily life, but recognizing how it impacts our life and what exactly the traumatic experience was can be challenging.  Many experiences that are traumatic to children and that still affect our interactions and experiences are “under the radar.”  These experiences are not reportable to child protective services; as an adult, we typically do not think of them as problematic.  None the less, they can reek havoc in our lives and relationships.  An easy way to spot and start managing these trauma reactions is to ask yourself “How old do I feel right now?”  If you feel young, then you are in a trauma reaction.  When a trauma wound is triggered, we emotionally regress to the age we were when the trauma wound originated.  You will manage the current situation more effectively if you reclaim your adult emotional self.

Do I feel young right now?  How can I accept this trauma reaction and nurture myself?  How would my adult emotional self manage this situation?