Let's Talk About Childhood Trauma & The Inner Child

Let's Talk About Childhood Trauma & The Inner Child - Part 1

I’ll be sharing a series of posts on childhood trauma and the inner child. I'm breaking it down so we can understand how it shapes us today. By definition, the inner child is the part of us formed from the moment we were conceived, through all our growing years (baby, toddler, child, teen).

It lives in our subconscious and carries:

🍬 Messages we absorbed before we could fully understand

🍬 Memories and emotions from our past

🍬 Beliefs that still influence us today

Why does this matter?

Because many of our fears, anxieties, or even perfectionism as adults actually come from this inner child still trying to protect us. Understanding this is the first step to healing.

Here are the list of adult behavior that are most likely rooted from childhood trauma.

1️⃣ Emotional triggers

Small things set off big reactions, because they remind your inner child of old pain.

2️⃣ Anxiety & fear

Constant worrying, fear of abandonment, or fear of failure rooted in feeling unsafe as a child.

3️⃣ Avoidance

Pulling back from people, places, or opportunities that feel overwhelming — even when they’re safe now.

4️⃣ Relationship struggles

Difficulty trusting, fear of intimacy, or people-pleasing to keep others from leaving.

5️⃣ Perfectionism

The inner drive to be “good enough” or earn love through achievements.

6️⃣ Low energy & burnout

Carrying invisible weight from the past makes even normal life feel exhausting.

7️⃣ Negative self-talk

The harsh inner critic that repeats old messages you once believed as a child.

8️⃣Feeling stuck

Struggling to make decisions or try new things because fear feels safer than change.

9️⃣ Mood swings

Anger, sadness, or irritability that comes out stronger than the situation calls for.

1️⃣0️⃣ Difficulty setting boundaries

Saying “yes” when you mean “no”, fearing rejection if you put yourself first.

Which one of these do you notice in yourself?

Or maybe in someone close to you?

You’re not alone on this journey, I can relate to almost all of these. So let's learn together on how to find peace between inner child and your adult self. Stay tuned.

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