Any time a person experiences trauma, it impacts their life. For some, the effects may be temporary. For others, the aftermath may become ongoing and cause them to develop a trauma-based mental illness or even a substance use disorder. If you are concerned that your child may be dealing with a traumatic event, either in the past or ongoing, we can help you get answers. Take our childhood trauma quiz that helps you determine if it’s time to get professional treatment to help your loved one.
What is Childhood Trauma?
Trauma can affect a person at any time during their lives. When it happens to a child, the suffering can happen not only during their childhood but extend into adulthood if not treated. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that by the age of 16, more than two-thirds of children report having experienced at least one traumatic event.
Examples of childhood trauma include:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Neglect
- Witnessing violence within the home or among other family members
- Death of a loved one
- Divorce in the family
- Serious injury or illness
- Being placed in foster care
- Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods
- Bullying
- School shootings
- Violence within their community
- Experiences during wartime or other military acts
Taking a childhood trauma quiz can provide answers to help a parent understand if their child needs treatment for a trauma-based illness.
The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Substance Abuse
Research has shown a strong connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and substance abuse later in life. The ACE study, which examined the impact of childhood trauma on health outcomes, found that individuals with higher ACE quiz scores were more likely to develop substance abuse issues.
Childhood trauma, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and exposure to domestic violence, can lead to chronic stress and negative effects on mental health, increasing the risk of substance abuse as a coping mechanism.
Assessing Adverse Childhood Experiences
To better understand an individual’s risk for addiction or mental health issues, mental health professionals may use diagnostic tools like the childhood trauma ACE test. These assessments help identify the presence and severity of adverse childhood experiences, allowing for more targeted and effective treatment approaches.
By recognizing the lasting effects of childhood trauma, treatment centers can provide trauma-informed care that addresses the root causes of addiction.
Childhood Trauma Test
While not everyone experiences the same signs from experiencing trauma, many of them are quite common. Similar to the ACE childhood trauma test, our quiz can help you understand if a trauma-based illness may be present in your child’s life and can also measure your child’s state of emotional well-being. Answer yes or no to the following questions:
- Does your child experience flashbacks?
- Does your child have insomnia or nightmares?
- Does your child avoid people, places, or activities that remind them of something traumatic that happened?
- Does being around certain people, places, or activities cause your child to feel triggered?
- Does your child feel uncomfortable in crowds?
- Is your child easily startled?
- Does your child worry about having a safe exit strategy when they are in a public or unfamiliar place?
- Has your child developed difficulty in school after a traumatic event?
- Has your child reverted to behaviors associated with a younger age, such as bedwetting or being clingy?
- Does your child exhibit signs of anxiety or depression?
- Does your child feel unexplainable guilt or shame?
- Does your child often feel helpless or unsafe?
- Has your child begun using or abusing drugs or alcohol?
- Has your child had a near-death experience, such as an accident or illness?
- Has your child lost a loved one or been through a divorce in the family?
- Does your child suffer from panic attacks with symptoms such as rapid heart rate, sweating, numbness, nausea, or a feeling they may pass out or die?
Assessment of My Childhood Trauma Quiz
After taking the childhood trauma quiz, count your answers. If your child answered yes to three or more questions, they may suffer from childhood trauma. If this is the case, it’s important to get help immediately. Parents can discuss the quiz results with their child’s doctor or a mental health professional. This can help them plan to get the right care for their child.
How to Treat Childhood Trauma and Associated Mental Illness
If taking a childhood trauma test shows that the experienced childhood trauma has impacted your son or daughter’s life, taking steps to get them treatment becomes of paramount importance. Trauma-based illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) need professional treatment from clinicians trained in the field. When the person in need is an adolescent, it’s valuable to seek care from someone who works with this age group.
Multiple types of therapy prove useful in treating childhood trauma. Individual therapy allows the child a safe space to talk to a caring, neutral party about what happened to them and how they feel. Group therapy allows the child to understand they are not alone. In both cases, they learn healthy coping skills that allow them to overcome the symptoms of trauma. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy both work well for those dealing with trauma.
Another type of therapy that can help young people tremendously is family therapy. This allows the family to come together, understand the traumatic event and its impact on everyone, and focus on helping the loved one heal.
About half of those who deal with a mental illness, such as PTSD, have an increased risk of developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol. When this happens, getting treatment for this at the same time will help the individual make progress. Getting treatment for dual diagnosis, which is the presence of both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, allows a person to receive care for both conditions simultaneously. This saves time and money and allows them to make progress in both areas at the same time.
The Role of Family and Support Systems
Family and support systems play a vital role in the recovery process for individuals with a history of childhood trauma. Treatment centers often encourage family involvement through therapy sessions, educational programs, and support groups.
By engaging family members in the treatment process, providers can help foster a supportive and understanding environment that promotes healing and reduces the risk of intergenerational trauma. Additionally, connecting patients with peer support groups and community resources can provide ongoing support and encouragement throughout their recovery journey.
Breaking the Cycle of Trauma
Addressing childhood trauma not only benefits the individual seeking help but also has the potential to break the cycle of trauma for future generations. By providing trauma-informed care and resources, adolescent treatment centers can help individuals develop healthy coping mechanisms, improve their mental health, and build resilience.
As these individuals heal from their own traumatic experiences, they become better equipped to provide a stable and nurturing environment for their own children, reducing the likelihood of adverse childhood experiences in the next generation.
Begin Treatment for Childhood Trauma in Phoenix, AZ
Childhood trauma can overshadow a young person’s entire life, even moving into negatively affecting their lives as adults. Zenith Behavioral Health in Phoenix offers a program that treats boys aged 13 to 17 for trauma-based illnesses, including PTSD. If you need help understanding if this would be a good fit for your son who is struggling, take our childhood trauma test. It can give you the answers both you and your child need.
For more information on getting help for childhood trauma, visit our admissions page now. Our friendly staff is waiting to answer any questions you have about helping your child heal.
