 Hey, Psych2Goers. Thank you so much for supporting our mission to make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone. Now back to the video. Did you have a traumatic childhood? Were you depressed as a child? Your childhood experiences may have an impact on why you may be suffering from depression now. People who become depressed at a young age tend to experience more severe symptoms and are less receptive to treatment because of how long they've gone without help. So here are seven signs of depression caused by your childhood. Before we begin, we would like to mention that this video is created for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute a professional diagnosis. If you suspect that you have depression or any mental health condition, we highly advise you to seek help from a qualified mental health professional. Number one, you've always felt depressed. Can you recall a time in your life when you weren't depressed? If you feel like you've always been depressed, it's likely that you are still suffering from unresolved childhood depression and never got the help you needed to overcome your mental illness. The symptoms of depression may have been in your life for so long that you don't recognize yourself without it. Number two, you don't have happy childhood memories. Does hearing other people talk about their happy memories with their family make you feel sad or envious? Whether it's because your family mistreated you or that you have a disruptive home life, your childhood experiences may have been a bleak time in your life that you don't like to look back on. The feelings of guilt, regret, and confusion over your childhood memories may continue to manifest into adulthood, into feelings of depression. Number three, you don't know how to handle your emotions. Did you throw tantrums or lash out a lot when you were a child? Some of the hallmarks of childhood depression is emotional validity. When you don't learn how to regulate and control your emotions from a young age, it's only going to get worse as you grow older. So if you've never learned healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with feelings like sadness, grief, anger, and loneliness, it can easily lead you to develop depression and anxiety. Number four, you struggle with low self-esteem. Do you tend to be quiet, withdrawn, and unsure of yourself? According to the American Psychological Association, feelings of worthlessness are symptomatic of clinical depression. For those whose depression is rooted in their childhoods, their depression may have been ingrained in their sense of identity, that it has kept them from forming a positive view of themselves entirely. Number five, you have difficulty with close relationships. Are you socially withdrawn? Do you isolate yourself from your loved ones? Those who've suffered from depression since childhood find it more difficult to form and maintain close meaningful relationships. Your past may have left you with psychological scars that to this day still hurt your ability to be emotionally vulnerable with others. You may have a deep-seated fear of intimacy and an insecure attachment style brought about by your traumatic childhood, which has taught you to be wary of love. Number six, you shut down when things go wrong. Do you shut down when things go wrong? Those with childhood depression were never taught the right way of handling setbacks or overcoming the challenges they face. They may be quick to give up on themselves and their goals, no matter how much they want them because they're so used to being let down. Because their childhood depression has taken away their resilience and emotional maturity to deal with these challenges, they may also be overly self-critical, blaming themselves for their failures. Number seven, you don't look forward to anything. Do you live in a state of constant hopelessness? Because you've lived most of your life feeling this way, nothing excites you or inspires you anymore. The feeling that the future will only be as bleak as the past may be stemming from your unresolved emotional trauma from your childhood. This lack of emotion or inspiration to move forward may only worsen your feelings of depression. Do you relate to any of the signs mentioned here? If so, know that you're not alone and don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health care professional. If you enjoyed this video, please like, subscribe and share it with others who may find it helpful too. All the references used are also added in the description box below. Thank you for watching and we'll see you in our next video.