Growing Up In A Dysfunctional Family – Symptoms Of PTSD

If you grew up in a dysfunctional home, you may have PTSD as a result of it. While a lot of people dismiss PTSD as something only military veterans experience, that simply isn't the case. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can impact anyone and the trauma that triggers the disorder can be anything from the death of a loved one to a natural disaster to being the victim of a crime, or a dysfunctional upbringing.

When children grow up with neglectful or abusive caregivers, it can result in complex trauma. When these experiences happen in your early childhood development, they can impact your physical, emotional, psychological, and social development (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6849838/). Not all children who grew up in dysfunctional homes react the same way.

Biologically, childhood trauma impacts how the brain functions, but it can also affect the structure due to high levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Behaviorally, children who experience childhood trauma have issues. Including poor educational outcomes, increases suicidal ideations, and a higher risk of self-harm. There is also an impact on the child's ability to socialize functionally, which can make it difficult to relate to others. It may start in childhood, but that is a problem that will follow them into adulthood.

Psychologically, there are issues for children when trying to develop their sense of self, regulate their emotions, and it can impact their self-esteem and self-worth. This can result in mental health issues, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

PTSD Symptoms

The trauma a child may experience in a dysfunctional family that results in PTSD includes bullying, medical trauma, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, community violence, and narcissistic abuse. If you suspect you have PTSD, the symptoms below can either confirm you may be right or give you some comfort. Either way, you should take steps to speak to a professional about your childhood experiences. Just because you don't have PTSD doesn't mean you aren't trauma-free, and you may find it beneficial to open a dialogue in a safe place with a trained professional.

• Memory loss around the trauma (though some people may constantly relive those memories)

• Anxiety and depression

• Trouble regulating emotions, which can often manifest as anger or rage

• Increased risk of self-harm

• Feelings of detachment, from both yourself and others

• Feelings of shame and guilt

• Suicidal ideations

• Sudden mood swings

• The need to be someone's rescuer

• The need to find a rescuer

• Trouble maintaining friendships and romantic relationships

• Trouble trusting others

• Feeling as though you are constantly on alert

• A feeling of constant fear, though there is no threat present

• A distinct change in your spiritual attachment – turning to religion as a form of self-worth or shunning it entirely as a result of what happened to you

• A feeling of obsession around seeking revenge on the person who hurt you

Family Dysfunction Into Adulthood

This dysfunction doesn't end just because the child becomes an adult or escapes the dysfunctional family system. That dysfunction follows them throughout their lives and it can be a struggle. PTSD is life-changing and in some of the worst ways if it's left untreated. Not only can it make relationships incredibly difficult, but it can often lead to the person isolating themselves because they mistrust or fear others.

Likewise, the issue with regulating emotions is a clear risk to friendships and romantic relationships. If you can't regulate your emotions, and you have bouts of rage, it can be difficult to cope. People with PTSD as a result of a dysfunctional family system also struggle with self-perception. The message sent in childhood was that they were flawed, fatally, or that they were damaged goods. It's difficult to overcome those feelings when you a) struggle to regulate emotions and b) struggle to build healthy relationships. It comes with the feeling of deep loneliness and the feeling that the world would have been better off without them.

A dysfunctional family can interrupt someone's system of meaning. A system of meaning is a person's assessment of themselves based on their feelings, abilities, and weaknesses. Living in a dysfunctional home interrupts that process and it disrupts one's self of self. It can result in a struggle when it comes to identifying morals, ethics, and a sense of justice. It corrupts the child's outlook on the world and provides them with a twisted outlook on their own world.