TheCDCs reportdrew many sad and sometimes surprising connections between childhood trauma and adult health.
If you take anything away from this piece, hopefully, its the fact that thats absolutely not true.
Back in August,LeAnn tweeted, your childhood is the reason why youre the way you are now.
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She didnt expect the response, which included 10.5K retweets and 27.3K likes.
After seeing the immense reaction to her tweet, she decided to prioritize helping adults unpack childhood trauma.
Its something she can speak to as both a clinician and a person whos been through childhood trauma herself.
SELF: Can you define childhood trauma for us?
For instance, I was bullied at school.
Thats a traumatic event that shaped how I view friends and how I view confrontation as an adult.
Thats the hiccup that I get a lot.
Most people think, Oh, my childhood wasnt that bad.
Most people dont think that emotional and verbal abuse is still abuse.
Especially in the African American community.
Trauma is like a curse word.
You cant say that your parents did something traumatic to you.
Youre supposed to respect them.
SELF: How did you become aware of the childhood trauma in your own life?
LeAnn:Growing up, I always felt like I had to be more, to get more attention.
SELF: How do you avoid burnout while youre doing this work?
LeAnn:I have atherapist.
Thats a big, big reason why I can do what I do.
I have somebody with whom I can release whatever Im going through.
I also dont take clients on Mondays.
Monday is my time of my week after the weekend to reset.
Taking time for myself and making myself a priority keeps me able to help people.
SELF: It sounds like working through childhood trauma is an ongoing practice.
But Ive also realized that setting firm, strong boundaries is what the process is really about.
Its about reprogramming yourself after the trauma.
SELF: The CDC recently released a report explaining how childhood trauma is a public health issue.
In your practice, do you see the connection between childhood trauma and health?
LeAnn:Yes, I do.
Yourmental healthaffects your physical health.
I, personally, attempt to go to thegymat least two to three times a week.
But even when I cant manage that, I just give a shot to walk outside.
If I dont feel like going for a walk, I just go outside to get fresh air.
LeAnn:The first step is to really realize what happened and accept it.
The second step is to identify what, as an adult, triggers you.
What makes you uncomfortable?
What makes you depressed?
What makes you anxious?
What makes you sad?
What makes you angry?
What words make you feel betrayed?
Identifying those triggers can help you put them in the right category.
Then we can properly set those boundaries and separate facts from how we feel about past events.
You cant get caught up if their trauma seems worse than yours.
Yours was traumatic to you.
LeAnn:Most people get overwhelmed because theyre trying to heal everything at once and quickly.Healingdoesnt happen overnight.
Pick something to focus on, and make that your most pressing issue.
It could be forgiveness.
It could be emotional wellness.
Whatever it is, pick that.
Focus on it consistently, then once youve made progress, focus on something else.
But you cant pay attention to which pot is cooking if youre cooking with all the pots at once.
Be mindful that you are only one person.
Give yourself grace as you heal, and give yourself room to grow.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
