 There has been a huge decline in mental health around the world, which is why we're so committed to creating more content than we ever have. Thanks for being a part of our journey. Do you think you grew up in a healthy environment? Your childhood is supposed to be the time of joy, happiness, and growth, where you learn about the world through your experiences with your parents and the people around you. But unfortunately, some people don't experience the blessing of living in a happy household. If you were neglected or abused as a kid, you probably suffer the consequences of it to this day. Without knowing how toxic your situation really was, you may have come to believe that it's just how families work and bring your learned feelings of shame, fear, and sadness into adulthood. To learn more about this, here are 5 signs you had a traumatic childhood. 1. Childish reactions. How do you cope with stress? While children cry and throw tantrums to relieve their frustrations, it would be a bit odd to see an adult angrily stomp their feet in the middle of a long and boring meeting. This is why adults need to handle their problems in a different, more mature way. But if you've suffered trauma as a child, you might find yourself drifting off to simpler times when life gets too hard to handle. This is called age regression, a coping mechanism in which your behavior temporarily reverses to earlier stages of development. So when faced with stress, you may turn to using baby talk, throwing tantrums, rocking or pacing to soothe yourself, or using dolls or stuffed animals for support. Some extreme cases of age regression can include crying in a fetal position or bedwetting. 2. Insecure attachment. In psychology, the theory of attachment refers to how our ideas about relationships are learned through our interactions with our parents or caregivers. Growing up with a secure attachment meant that your parents had fulfilled your needs when you were a baby, and you gained a positive self-image and learned to trust those around you. But with an insecure attachment, your caregivers may have been so unresponsive or neglectful that your brain decided that others could not be trusted. And you ended up developing a negative self-image which can follow you into adulthood. As a result, you may struggle to form or maintain close relationships because you experience intense feelings of abandonment or the fear of commitment. 3. Conflict avoidance. Were you allowed to stand up for yourself when you felt you needed to, or did your parents always just dismiss your thoughts and ideas? Growing up in a dismissive or overly critical environment could have taught you to expect negative reactions from the people around you and cause you to be afraid of confrontation. Whether it's with your partner, family member, work, colleague, or friend, you may find that you can't really voice your opinions and will always let them have things their way. Even when things upset you, you may just choose to change the topic, pretend you're okay, or even force yourself to stay in an uncomfortable situation just so you don't have to disappoint anyone. 4. Low self-worth. Did your parents praise you for your achievements or did they brush them off like they didn't happen? Were they gentle with their criticisms or did they humiliate you when you did something wrong? If you were constantly criticized for everything you did, no matter how small or insignificant it was, you may come to believe that you're worthless and can't do anything right. These feelings may continue into adulthood, where even if you were told you did a good job, you still think it wasn't done right or well enough. It's as if you're never good enough for others or for yourself and live in a constant state of anxiety, wondering what others think of you or whether they approve of you or not. 5. Risky behavior. Lastly, another possible sign of childhood trauma is if you engage in lots of risky behavior. Risky behavior describes any behavior with an uncertain risk, whether binge drinking, taking drugs, reckless driving, and so on. Studies have shown that exposure to traumatic events and the development of PTSD symptoms can make you seek these behaviors more frequently. Also, seeking risk may be a maladaptive strategy to help you overcome all those negative feelings you experienced when you were a child. Even if you don't see it as a big deal, risking your life and health is certainly a cause for concern. Do you think you had a traumatic childhood? Let us know in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with those who might benefit from it. And don't forget to hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video. The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Thanks for watching and see you in the next one.