Do you know or suspect that your adopted child with a trauma history has periods, however brief, of dissociation?
Not by Choice
Dissociation in a nutshell is an involuntary disconnect from your body, mind and/or surroundings. It’s an involuntary episode that like a seizure, is not something your child is intentionally choosing to do. And your child's early trauma may be a risk factor for turning on this survival mechanism.
A reminder to yourself that this isn't voluntary, along with an awareness of the specifics of how it tends to play out in your affected child when a dissociation episode happens,
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One cultural myth that is very prevalent today is that parents must affirm sinful & harmful lifestyle choices that run contrary to God’s laws, or we cause our children terrible harm — like feelings of shame, rejection, fear, insecurity, and to generally feel bad about themselves leading to all kinds of problems for them.
It is presumed that parents are unkind and unloving if we do not also embrace and adopt these choices.
Did you know that early childhood trauma often leads to a pervasive sense of helplessness in children?
This in turn can cause them to overcompensate with age-inappropriate independence and rigid control strategies.
If you're noticing these behaviors in your child, know that you are not alone, and together, we can find paths toward healing and connection.
