The need to over-explain
In an environment where emotions lead to punishment or lead to shame, kids grow up with the notion that certain feelings are wrong or bad. This drives the older family trauma survivor to over-explain themselves out of fear of not being believed.
Constant feelings of guilt and shame
Childhood family trauma survivors often carry around a strong sense of guilt and shame. Children have a natural tendency to self-blame, and they usually assume what happened or didn’t happen to them is their fault. Sadly, this carries over into adulthood.
Being an underachiever
Researchers from the University of Florida link family trauma survivors to many poor life results.
They’ve stated that for students, the consequences of academic underachievement reach beyond the educational setting, usually leading to fewer opportunities in life, destructive behaviors, and difficulty earning a living.
The research team also found a connection between traumatic stress and socioeconomic status. Individuals from a disadvantaged background are 65% more likely to have experienced trauma as children than someone with a middle-class background.
