About Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and How To Get Help
September 18, 2024
Quick Summary
- A 10-question self-check asks about your childhood: threats to your safety, witnessing violence or abuse, an anxious or rejecting caregiver, betrayed trust, and losing a loved one to divorce, death, illness, incarceration or migration.
- One “yes” is reason enough to see a therapist. Many people answer yes to several, and it’s common to feel numb or disconnected from what happened years later.
- Unresolved trauma often resurfaces later as stress, anxiety, depression or unhealthy coping habits. It can also strain relationships, self-esteem and physical health.
- Treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. The clinic’s therapists offer CBT, Emotion Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR and Inner Child Therapy, starting with a virtual consultation to build your personal plan.
Ever wonder if stuff from your childhood might still be messing with you today? You’re not alone—so many of us carry things from the past without even realizing it. Whether it’s that weird knot in your stomach during certain situations or the feeling like something’s holding you back, unresolved trauma can show up in all kinds of ways. That’s why we’ve put together this quick and easy Childhood Trauma Quiz to help you figure out if there’s something from your past that could still be affecting you. It’s not a replacement for professional help, but it’s a great starting point to get a clearer picture and maybe even take the first step toward feeling better.
This quiz aims to identify common situations during developmental years that could be traumatic for a child or adolescent. You can answer the following questions to see if you may have unresolved trauma from the past.
10 Questions to Assess Potential Unresolved Trauma from Your Childhood
Thinking back on your developmental years…
- Did you feel like your life or safety was threatened or at-risk at any point?
- Did you witness or experience emotional, sexual, or physical violence?
- Did you have an anxious, inconsistent, distant, rejecting, or traumatised caregiver?
- Did you grow up in a home with loud conflicts, shouting, yelling, or screaming?
- Did you often feel worried about your future or that things “will not be okay”?
- Did you have your trust betrayed or were you lied to by a loved one?
- Did you often feel like you are not safe from rejection, critical judgements and hurtful criticisms?
- Did you often feel fearful of your caregiver, parent, or sibling’s emotional outbursts and aggression?
- Did you feel like you were losing a loved one to divorce, death, illness, incarceration, or migration?
- Did you often experience overwhelming emotional pain, anger, sadness, or fear without any support?
If you have answered “Yes…” to any of the above questions
We encourage you to meet with a therapist at Vancouver Counselling Clinic to discuss your results and identify how therapy may be helpful for you. It is common for people to answer yes for multiple questions and it is common for people to feel emotional numbness, compartmentalization, or repression after years have gone by.
The lack of safety in our lived experiences can impact our mental health and physical health for years to come. The more isolated we were while we felt scared and hurt tends to indicate a higher risk of wounding. Psychotherapy at Vancouver Counselling Clinic can help improve the symptoms of Anxiety and the symptoms of Trauma. All of our therapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and work with trauma. We provide Emotion Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Somatic Experiencing Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Inner Child Therapy, and more.
Why Healing Emotional Trauma Is Important
Healing emotional trauma is essential because unresolved trauma can profoundly impact mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. It often manifests in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or unhealthy coping mechanisms, which can hinder relationships, self-esteem, and overall quality of life. Emotional trauma can also influence how individuals perceive and respond to the world, potentially leading to a cycle of fear, avoidance, or self-sabotage. Addressing and healing these wounds allows individuals to regain a sense of safety, process their experiences, and develop healthier patterns of thinking and behavior. Ultimately, healing emotional trauma paves the way for personal growth, resilience, and a more fulfilling, balanced life.
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Why Booking a Session Can Help?
If you are someone who has experienced trauma, it may be beneficial to speak with one of our therapists to gain insight into how your trauma affects your emotions and behaviors. Understanding these connections can be a key step in your healing process. For more information about trauma and its impact, we encourage you to reach out to one of our therapists to discuss how you can benefit from skills-building in counseling.
Why booking a Virtual Initial Consultation will help?
Addressing trauma can be a complex journey, whether it stems from childhood experiences or recent events. At Vancouver Counselling Clinic, our team of experienced therapists is here to help you navigate these challenges. We offer personalized strategies to process trauma effectively, providing the support you need to enhance your emotional well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does answering yes to several questions mean I have PTSD?
No. This is a screening prompt, not a diagnostic tool, and nothing here can confirm or rule out a trauma disorder. Answering yes to multiple items is common. The useful next step is bringing your answers to a therapist who can weigh them against your history and how you are functioning now.
Why can I barely remember parts of my childhood?
Gaps in memory are a recognised response to distress. Emotional numbness, compartmentalization and repression often settle in as years pass, which is why some people answer yes to these questions without being able to recall much detail around them. Therapy can work with what you do remember rather than requiring a complete account.
Can something that happened thirty years ago still be affecting me?
Yes. A lack of safety in early life can shape mental and physical health for years afterward, showing up as chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or coping habits that strain relationships and self-esteem. Time on its own does not process an experience. What tends to change things is working through it deliberately.
What if my childhood wasn't abusive but I still relate to some of these questions?
Overt violence is only part of what the quiz covers. Several items ask about quieter conditions: a caregiver who was anxious, inconsistent or distant, a household of shouting and loud conflict, persistent worry that things will not be okay, or losing someone to illness, divorce or migration. Those experiences count.
Which type of therapy works best for childhood trauma?
There is no single best approach, which is why the clinic’s therapists are trained across several, from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotion Focused Therapy through to Somatic Experiencing, EMDR and Inner Child Therapy. The right fit depends on what you are carrying and how you prefer to work. That choice usually gets made in an initial consultation.
