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

Many of us live with emotional pain, health challenges, or destructive habits — and struggle to understand why. We assume it’s about weakness, poor choices, or simply bad luck. But the truth runs deeper. And it often begins earlier than we realize.

As physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté reminds us, childhood trauma leaves an enduring imprint — not only on our emotions, but on our bodies. When we bury feelings like grief, fear, or anger, we don’t eliminate them. We internalize them. And in doing so, we unknowingly disrupt the body’s intricate systems — the nervous system, immune response, even organ function. Over time, this can lead to everything from autoimmune disease to chronic anxiety and depression.

Research confirms what many have sensed: our bodies carry the weight of our childhoods. One large-scale Canadian study found that survivors of childhood abuse had nearly a 50% higher risk of developing cancer — even when accounting for smoking and other habits. Other studies reveal similar links to heart disease, diabetes, and a range of mental health issues.

Addiction in particular is often rooted in early trauma. As Maté puts it: “The first question is never why the addiction, but why the pain?” Whether it’s substance abuse, compulsive eating, or overwork, these are ways of coping — not just bad decisions, but responses to wounds we may not even remember.

And trauma doesn’t stop with one generation. The pain gets passed down. Studies in epigenetics show that the stress of one generation can alter the biology of the next. Children of Holocaust survivors, for example, have been found to carry altered stress hormone patterns. Other research shows that poverty and emotional deprivation can actually reduce brain volume in key areas related to learning and resilience.

Why does this happen?

Because the human brain is shaped in relationship. We are wired — quite literally — by the interactions we have in early life. 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, particularly in the early childhood years.”

When parents are overwhelmed by trauma, depression, or economic strain, they may struggle to provide the kind of safe, attuned connection that a child’s brain needs. And without that foundation, we grow up fighting invisible battles — emotionally, physically, spiritually.

So instead of blaming ourselves or others for how we’re struggling, what if we asked a different question? What if we saw trauma not as a shameful past, but as a key to understanding the present — and healing the future?

NEXT ACTION:

Sometime today, take a few minutes to sit quietly and reflect on your own early story. Ask yourself, “Where might I still be carrying pain I never fully acknowledged?” Don’t try to fix it all — just notice. If something stirs, write it down or talk to someone you trust. This gentle act of naming — without judgment — can be the first step toward healing. Remember: awareness is not the end of the journey, but it is always the beginning.