Should I seek help now?

Question

Do you feel it's necessary to seek therapy about something traumatizing that happened to you as a child, that you never got help for, when you're an adult? Even if you feel you're over it? Could it be unknowingly still affecting me today?

Answer 1

I think it's a very good & legitimate question to ask.

You have to understand that ANYTHING you did or experienced in childhood good or bad will effect you today in varying degrees. Your mind is quite similar to the rest of your body. If you fall out of a tree... you will experience pain. It does not necessarily mean your leg is broken. Just as if you witnessed a death as a child. You experienced grief. But it does not necessarily mean that you have a mental illness. BUT, fortunately for us there are some clear indications of mental illness.

YOU SHOULD SEEK PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS:

IF you're experiencing frequent nightmares or daytime flashbacks of the childhood occurrence.

If you're experiencing jumpiness due to noise/sensation assimilation (ie. veterans will often jump - as if jumping into action - when they hear loud noises which resemble combat -like doors closing loudly or someone dropping a pan. Rape victims who were attacked from behind will generally jump, scream or run if someone touches their shoulder unexpectedly or comes up from behind for a hug... they may also have a difficult time enjoying sexual activity with their partners).

If you've resorted to withdrawing from everything and everyone in order to shield yourself from further pain ("numbing") and in order to keep others from seeing outbursts of your pain. Widows have been known to lock themselves away from their family and friends for years at a time.

If you're self medicating or harming your body in any way to dull or hide emotional pain. This could be cutting yourself, engaging in extreme dieting, engaging in reckless behavior (sexual or otherwise), misusing controlled substances, self medicating by overeating, etc.

if you're experiencing disassociation - where you intentionally or unintentionally detach the memory from it's effect on you. Many patients will have a difficult time remembering the occurrence and/or will recall the story as if they had not been apart of it or as if they'd be a different person. In some extreme cases, patients may develop multiple personalities or will "lose time" - act without memory.

If any of these apply to you I would seek professional assistance, otherwise I think you should be fine.

Best of luck!

Answer 2

The decision to seek therapy is solely yours, but as a victim of childhood trauma myself, if you are still thinking about it frequently as an adult you may not be "over" it. Everything that you've been through up until this point affects you, be it for good or bad, anyone who tells you otherwise sweetheart has their head stuck in the sand. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, or even going to a therapist just to talk and see where it goes. I wish you all the best!

Answer 3

In answer to your 1st 2 Questions; Yes- absolutely. And. .if you have not sought help for Childhood-Trauma, then you are not completely over it, as it will definately still unknowingly affect you even today. Humans cannot go through trauma (particularly in Childhood) & come out unaffected.

Answer 4

Disagree.... only for the reason which you would be searching for for some thing would not then advise you're additionally sought. And while you're sought, it would not advise you're additionally searching for. some individuals are actually not searching for or sough! Its not linked. A mouse is sought via a cat..... however the mouse isn't searching for for the cat, its attempting to circumvent it. i think of that it extremely is sought trys to circumvent being seeked!

Answer 5

No - if it's gone , it's gone. Don't let those emotional vampires into your life - they will mess it up. People can deal with bad stuff now as they always have. It's expecting life to be perfect that sets up an impossible and false standard of emotional well being.

Answer 6

Its unlikely that it will affect you now. You've most likely been conned into thinking that by the media. Unless you are having serious mental upsets or find it difficult to control your emotions, etc. then you are likely to be unaffected.

Answer 7

If you feel that you are over it than no. But if the event is causing problems in your adult live than absolutley.

Answer 8

Definetly.