People who go through a lot of traumatic experiences while they’re young can find themselves developing traits that stay with them through adulthood. What are these traits? You’ll find 18 of them in this article.
Independent
A study conducted by Essex University says the Daily Mail found that 6.7% of 10–15-year-olds reported being unhappy in 2018–2019. Children who have unhappy childhoods tend to grow into very independent adults, as they have never had someone to rely on and are used to going through life alone.
Empathetic
According to Merriam-Webster, being empathetic means being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another. Adults who have been through a traumatic childhood are more empathetic with others and are more patient and understanding toward those who suffer.
Lonely
The statistics from Cross River Therapy say that more than 80 percent of young people under the age of 18 report feeling lonely. Unhappy and lonely children often grow into lonely adults. Many adults isolate themselves because they feel like they can’t trust anyone in their lives.
Hardworking
LinkedIn says that 85% of workers are disengaged from their jobs. But people who have been through difficult childhoods have the tendency to be very hardworking and good at solving problems. They don’t give up quickly when the task at hand seems tricky.
Compassionate
Compassion is a trait that’s often found in those who went through a tough childhood. These people are kind and patient with others, and they go out of their way to help them. Because of their tough past, they bend over backward to ensure that those who are suffering from similar circumstances receive the support they need.
Optimistic
According to Kids Health, optimism is a very important trait, as it makes people feel more in control of their situations and have higher self-esteem. People who have been through traumatic experiences in the past may be better optimists, as they’ve had to learn to look on the bright side of life even when times are tough.
Resilient
People who’ve had difficult childhoods are usually very resilient. When life doesn’t go their way, they aren’t shaken; rather, they pick themselves up and keep going. They are this way because they’re used to facing tough situations and know how to get through them.
Predictable
When someone suffers a lot when they’re a child, as an adult, they now look for a certain stability in their life that they’ve never experienced before. This person can become a creature of habit, always following the same routine that makes them feel safe.
Resentful
According to WebMD, most cases of resentment involve an underlying sense of being mistreated or wronged by another person. Adults who went through a bad childhood might feel a measure of resentment throughout their lives toward the people who made their infancy miserable.
Analytical
People who suffered as children are often slower to judge people and jump to conclusions. Instead, they think about the possible reasons why someone behaves in a certain way and try to analyze the situation before making their minds up. They’re more likely to take into account someone’s upbringing.
Insecure
When children are treated badly and made to feel worthless, they can carry these negative feelings into their childhood. Someone who feels insecure as a child will turn into an insecure adult who will doubt whether people really love them or not and question their self-worth.
Adaptable
An unhappy child often feels that way because of ever-changing negative circumstances. The child has to adapt to these circumstances, no matter how challenging they are. This turns this child into an adaptable adult who conforms and is happy to adapt to the needs of others.
Depending on how serious the abuse was that they suffered, they may never forgive the perpetrator.
Determined
Adults who have been through difficult childhoods are often keen to prevent anything similar from happening to their children. They are determined that their children will go to good schools, play, have fun, and receive the kindness, love, and care that they never had when growing up.
Anxious
An adult who wants to protect their child from going through the same traumatic experience they did might feel a level of anxiety when parenting. They might constantly be worried about dangers from outside or even inside the family home. This might cause them to be over-protective of their kids.
Lenient
An adult who had to face a tough childhood might be very lenient toward his or her children. This adult will remember all of the struggles they went through and will want to give the best, stress-free life to their children. This might cause them to hold back when giving discipline.
Resourceful
Adults who didn’t have a lot while they were growing up tend to be resourceful. Instead of wasting their money on fast fashion, for example, they mend their own clothes. They know how to get by on less and to do without. These adults have good survival skills.
Distrustful
Adults who have been through tough times when they were young can often be distrustful. They find it hard to trust others and have constantly kept their guard up. This is because their trust has already been broken too many times before, and they’re afraid of being vulnerable.
Self-Aware
The tough experiences they went through in their childhood often make adults more self-aware. They have become more self-aware because they have spent a lot of time considering the trauma they went through and how it has affected them. They know exactly where they want to be in life and how to get there.
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