Virtually every therapist you talk to will tell you they believe what happens in your childhood impacts the sort of adult you will become. Often, they’ll feel that if you had a happy childhood with parents or other individuals who nurtured you, then you are more likely to have a pleasant and fulfilled adulthood. By contrast, those who have negative or traumatic experiences in childhood are more likely to struggle when they become adults.
There are various types of trauma that can occur in childhood, but if you can’t get over yours, it may be necessary to seek help from a professional. There are various therapists, behaviorists, and programs that might be beneficial, but before you look into them, it’s helpful to know about the so-called “core wound” and what that expression means.
This Expression Means Different Things to Various People
It’s important to understand that the expression “core wound” will not mean the same thing to every person. In other words, one individual’s core wound may not be the same as someone else’s. Also, a person may have more than one core wound stemming from childhood.
Some core wounds might be the belief that one or both of your parents did not love you enough or they did not expressly show their love. A core wound may be the belief, learned in childhood, that you’re unattractive, unintelligent, dirty, or generally unwanted.
How to Tell if You’re Struggling with Core Wounds
If you’re dealing with alcoholism or heavy drug use, you might do so and tell yourself that you just like to party or that everyone does it. These can be justifications, though. You may be trying to mask the pain that comes from core wounds.
If you are unhappy in your life, it could come from problems in your present circumstances just as much as what happened to you in the past. However, if you find yourself dwelling on the past a lot, that’s a sign you might be dealing with unresolved feelings from core wounds. It’s just as possible that you may have problems with core wounds if you have a very hard time thinking or talking about your childhood and you avoid doing so as much as you can.
Treatment Options
There are various treatment options if you feel you’re trying to get past core wounds that are negatively impacting your current life. Usually, it starts when you find a therapist who you trust.
When you do so, they will probably encourage you to talk about your childhood. That’s often a good place to start since what happened in the past often impacts current behavior.
A therapist might suggest you get on medication if you feel sad or depressed. They may recommend that you stop using drugs or alcohol or that you start attending group sessions instead of doing one-on-one therapy.
There are many treatment options, but seeking help is almost always the first step. It’s not surprising that it’s frequently the most difficult one as well.
