The Connection Between Childhood Trauma & Adult Loneliness
I used to have an overwhelming urge to run smack into any car sporting the bumper sticker, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” When I finally took the leap and assumed responsibility for my own happiness, in the here and now, that nasty urge slunk away. For those experiencing the effects of chronic childhood trauma, as adults, it is not as simple as just waking up one day and deciding to no longer endure grief, shame, pain, loneliness, sadness, anger and a host of other post childhood trauma gremlins.
There are processes and techniques to assist and support you in uncovering your True Self. This is Part III in the series Stop Getting Triggered Now. Today let’s explore healing the hippocampus and the benefits we can reap as a result of our own efforts; and it doesn’t cost a cent.
Hippocampus/pi (there are two) – This section of the limbic system is essential to forming new memories, spatial navigation, certain aspects of fear conditioning and control of responses to stress. In laboratory observations, animals with hippocampal damage have exhibited hyperactive behavior and difficulty inhibiting behavior they could control prior to damaging their hippocampus. Two meta-analyses (analyzing the results of multiple studies on the same subject and drawing combined statistics and cumulative conclusions) have investigated the phenomena of the reduced size of the hippocampal volume in adults having a history of early life, chronic traumatic stress. According to a longitudinal study on 15 children, ages 8-14 years old, “Most of which experienced multiple traumatic events; witnessing violence, physical abuse, separation and loss, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional abuse,” chronic childhood stress causes ongoing elevated cortisol levels which have a neurotoxic effect on the hippocampus and impede its growth to its full potential. (Carrion, V.G., Weems, C.F., Reiss, A.L. (2007). Stress predicts brain changes in children: a pilot longitudinal study on youth stress, posttraumatic stress disorder, and the hippocampus. Pediatrics, Vol. 119 No. 3, pp. 509 -516. Doi: 10.1542/peds.2006-2028.)
Researchers measured the cortisol levels (elevated cortisol levels are associated with PTSD) of the children. They measured the volume of their hippocampi using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the beginning of the study and again 12-18 months later. The children with the highest cortisol levels to begin with, had experienced the greatest shrinkage in their hippocampus. “This finding is significant because it addresses the puzzle about why studies had shown that adults with histories of early childhood abuse had smaller hippocampal volume . . .(Ibid.)”
This is significant because a reduction in the size of the hippocampus appears to be related to difficulty in regulating emotions. Persons that tend to isolate, versus just being an introvert, have also been found to have smaller than normal hippocampi. The good news is work done by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn has proven conclusively that regular meditation can increase the volume of your hippocampus. One study (of many) saw, MRI confirmed, hippocampus growth in17 individuals in only eight weeks of regular meditation practice.
Just take 12 minutes for yourself to sit still and quiet your mind. Then tomorrow do it again and the next day and the next . . . No one is coming with a magic wand to make it all better. We heal ourselves, one day at a time. Will you begin today?
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Copyright ©2018 Josephine Faulk, MPH. Excerpt from WORTHY: A Personal Guide For Healing Your Childhood Trauma by Josephine Faulk,MPH.
Thank you Joie. Most interesting. I would like to see a follow up regarding methods conducive to expanding the hippocampus that are non-medicinal. You touched on meditation, are there others? This could make so much difference to people who are suffering. I love your articles. x
Hi Fiona. Pharmaceuticals alone are not the answer, as they often mask symptoms, which suppports suppressing painful emotions and hinders recovery. But used sparingly they can truly be a lifeline as one works through decades-long suppressed trauma. For me the goal was to taper off when I felt I had completed my work. Part II of my book contains the entire recovery strategy for permanently removing the layers of chronic childhood trauma, all of which is non-pharmaceutical. You may be interested in the Recommended Reading list on this site and Julia Ross’ book The Mood Cure. Her program brings rapid results using a few basic amino acids and balanced nutrition. My healing strategy is synergistic with each part removing another obstacle to wholeness. Enlarging the hippocampus and amygdala is only the beginning. I’m so glad you are gleaning something from the articles.
I am really interested in what you are writing. It resonates with me although I have no memory of a traumatic event.
Not remembering a specific incident or a chronic type of incident is not unusual. Also many of us who experienced chronic childhood trauma do not, initially, think of it as trauma. If you have read all of my blogs thus far you may be be starting the process of opening up parts of yourself which have been closed off for some time. I call these our Traumatized Child Parts. It’s usually the catalyst to beginning a strategy of recovery. Please take the time to read my post on the Twelve-Step Program of Adult Children of Alcoholics. It is not only for children of alcoholics, but for anyone that was raised in a home with chronic childhood trauma. Catherine, you are not alone. There is a whole world inside yourself to discover. I wish you well and wellness.