Is there a downside in a youth lived without trauma?

Question

Children need security. But can a too secure childhood leave us ill equipped for adulthood? Take a child (17) who does well academically and at sport, but has never faced violence...

While the easy answer might be, yes, it is clear that a childhood WITH trauma, would not be desirable either.

Answer 1

Some thought went into this . . .



People raised without trauma never learn empathy or a true appreciation of the struggle that most people have just to survive on this planet.



However, trauma itself can be so damaging as to scar people for life without some psychological assistance is compartmentalizing the stressor that comes with the traumatic event or activity.



Trauma is usually associated with 'street kids' who either faced continuous and prolonged domestic trauma at home and were not able to cope with the daily abuse and had not developed a coping strategy to park the trauma and thus because they have not been taught the mental skills on how to manage the emotional swings that comes with any trauma they act out their feelings of anger and pain and lash out at others to try to release what they have experienced or essentially been taught.



Failing this the person will seek pain release through prescription drugs, illegal drugs and or alcohol to numb the associated pain that comes with a life-long trauma exposure.



But trauma can be used by the adult mind to disassociate itself from their childhood traumatic events and make a productive and prosperous life for themselves and live without the negative effects of traumatic events and use these as learnings to ensure they are not repeat offenders and rise like a phoenix out of the ashes of the fire which resembled their childhood.



An adult that raises a child should make every effort to keep their children from traumatic events but they will show up at the child's feet without any efforts of their own sometimes and the adult needs to find a way to coach, mentor, cajole and otherwise help their child frame the event and to teach them how to control the associate pain and conflict that is associated with real trauma.



Arguably we can make a positive learning from negative traumatic events or activities - the world is full of traumatic events for people of all ages it is how we choose to deal with them moving forward that makes the difference in the quality of people's lives.

Answer 2

While too much trauma creates sociopaths, too little trauma creates flat personalities.

Answer 3

You just need to help the child move on and deal with it the right way.