Does childhood trauma cause personality disorders in adults?

 

I’m not absolutely sure that there is a clear line of causation from one to the other, but I’d STRONGLY suspect so, since our childhood experiences so profoundly affect our sense of who we are, what the world is like, who can be trusted and why, what is important to think about, and SO many other things. It is there that we form our deepest impressions of how we fit into the world of humans. Those experiences are the bricks we use to build our adult selves, do they are of HUGE importance. So, yes, if there has been abuse in childhood, I’d suspect it could result in some very troublesome personality features in the abused person, and they are deeply rooted and difficult to treat or change, to make things even more difficult.

 

The reason they are so hard to change is that they are built around a view of the self, the world, and human life that makes them feel NECESSARY, as a means of protection, or of revenge, or a way to enhance the image of the self, or of vigilance so that the next attack can be seen coming and fought off. It’s why the abuse of children is seen as such a deep SIN - its results can last for LIFE! To help you understand this, I would recommend you read the articles on MakeHeadway. MakeHeadway’s library covers a wide range of Childhood Trauma in Adults . Perhaps this is exactly what can change your life and make you happier.