“It is impossible to overstate the impact of childhood trauma on adult mental and physical health.”
— Gabor Maté

Most of us understand — at least intuitively — that our early life experiences shape who we become. But we may not fully realize just how deeply those early wounds embed themselves in our minds, bodies, and behaviors. And we may not see how much of our adult stress, illness, or addiction finds its roots in pain that entered our lives before we had the tools to process it.

Dr. Gabor Maté, whose work I deeply respect, has spent decades helping us understand this connection. And what he — and now countless studies — have shown is sobering: unaddressed trauma in childhood can leave us vulnerable to everything from autoimmune disease and heart problems to addiction, anxiety, and depression. Not simply because of what we remember, but because of what our bodies remember.

The Hidden Toll of Unfelt Emotion

When a child has no safe place to express fear, anger, or sorrow, those emotions don’t disappear. They go underground. And in doing so, they strain the nervous system, disrupt hormonal balance, impair immunity, and affect how the brain develops.

Over time, this chronic strain leaves its mark — not just on mental health, but on the body itself. Studies have found that adults who experienced neglect or abuse in childhood are more likely to show increased inflammatory responses to stress, which raises the risk for diseases like diabetes, heart problems, and even cancer. One Canadian study found that childhood abuse increased the likelihood of developing cancer by nearly 50%, even after adjusting for smoking and alcohol use.

Addiction as a Signal, Not a Sin

One of the clearest examples of this connection is addiction. Whether it’s substances, food, gambling, or even overwork —compulsive behaviors are often strategies to manage pain. They are, in effect, attempts to self-soothe when our internal world feels chaotic or unmanageable.

As Maté says, the right question is not, “Why the addiction?” but “Why the pain?” We cannot hope to address addiction in our lives—or in our churches and communities — without recognizing the wounds it’s trying to cover.

And this is part of what makes our current struggles with obesity, anxiety, and substance use so much more than individual “willpower” problems. They are symptoms of deeper pain—often generational, often invisible.

Trauma Doesn’t Stop with One Generation

Pain has a way of reverberating through families. Just as physical traits get passed down, so do patterns of stress and survival. Sometimes this happens through family dynamics — how we communicate, how we handle conflict, or how we show love. Sometimes it happens through poverty, oppression, or social disconnection. 

And sometimes, as emerging research in epigenetics shows, trauma literally alters gene expression in ways that get passed to children and grandchildren. For instance, researchers have found that the children of Holocaust survivors often have abnormal stress hormone responses — biological evidence of trauma transmission, even when the stories were never fully shared.

What We Need to Understand About Children’s Development

At the heart of this is a profound truth: the human brain is a social organ. It’s shaped not just by biology, but by relationship. When young children receive attuned, responsive care, their brains develop with resilience and flexibility. When those relational needs go unmet — whether through stress, neglect, or disconnection — their development is disrupted.

As one article in the Journal of Pediatrics put it:

“The interaction of genes and experiences literally shapes the circuitry of the developing brain, and is critically influenced by the mutual responsiveness of adult-child relationships.”

This is why economic insecurity, maternal depression, social isolation, or ongoing family conflict can have such far-reaching effects — not because parents don’t care, but because they’re simply too depleted or overwhelmed to provide the consistent, nurturing presence their children need.

A Cultural Blind Spot

And yet, instead of addressing these systemic and relational causes, we often reach for quick fixes. When children struggle emotionally or behaviorally, the most common response is pharmaceutical. We adjust their chemistry instead of exploring — and doing something about — their context. 

What if the root problem isn’t the child’s brain — but the environment that brain has been trying to adapt to? 

What if the rise in developmental disorders is less a medical mystery than a reflection of widespread stress, disconnection, and unresolved pain?

This isn’t cause for despair — there's also reasons for hope. Because if our wounds come from relationship, healing can come through relationship too.

As followers of Jesus and members of communities, we are in a unique position to offer the kind of presence and safety that so many people—young and old—desperately need. We can’t change someone’s past, but we can be a part of what transforms their future.

Source: This writeup is based on ideas shared in the article "How to Build a Culture of Good Health,' by Dr. Gabor Mate