Global Journal of Applied, Management and Social Sciences (GOJAMSS); Vol.21, January 2021; P.151 – 158 (ISSN: 2276 – 9013) 151 CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND ITS EFFECTS IN ADULTHOOD NDIBUAGU DALUCHI ELSIE Department Of Sociology/Psychology Faculty Of Management And Social Sciences Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu. Abstract Childhood trauma is seen as the experience of an event by a child that is emotionally painful or distressful which often results in lasting mental and physical effects. Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event, like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches and nausea. Children who suffer from child traumatic stress are those children who have been exposed to one or more traumas over the course of their lives and develop reactions that persist and affect their daily lives after the traumatic event must have ended. There are several types of trauma, of which include acute trauma, chronic trauma and complex trauma etc. The common therapy approaches to help heal from trauma include pharmacotherapy, which is the use of medications to manage disruptive trauma reactions, cognitive behavioural therapy, behavior therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), hypnotherapy, psychodynamic therapy and group therapy. Experiencing trauma in childhood can result in a severe and long lasting effect. When childhood trauma is not resolved, a sense of fear and helplessness carries over into adulthood, setting the stage for further trauma. Thus, the need for this work. Keywords: Trauma, childhood, adulthood, physical health INTRODUCTION According to the American Psychological Association (APA) (2013), trauma is “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.” There are several types of trauma, some of which include:  Acute trauma; this type of trauma mainly results from a single distressing event, it could be an accident, assault or natural disaster.  Chronic trauma; this is as a result of repeated and prolonged exposure to traumatic events or situations.  Complex trauma; this results from exposure to collaborative traumatic experiences. There is also a term known as Secondary trauma/vicarious trauma, this is when a person develops trauma symptoms as a result of close contact with someone who has experienced a traumatic situation. Childhood trauma is often described as serious adverse childhood experiences. Children may go through a range of experiences that classify as psychological trauma, these might include neglect, abandonment, sexual abuse and physical abuse, witnessing abuse of a sibling or parent or having a mentally ill parent. Childhood trauma can occur when a child witnesses or experiences overwhelming negative experiences in childhood. Many childhood experiences can overwhelm a child. This can happen in relationships e.g. abuse, neglect, violence. This is called interpersonal trauma. Trauma in early childhood can be especially harmful. Early childhood trauma generally means trauma between birth and the age of six. A child’s brain grows and develops rapidly, especially in the first three years. Young children are also very dependent on the caregivers for care, nurture and protection. This can make young children especially vulnerable to trauma. When trauma occurs early it can affect a child’s development. It can also affect their ability to attach securely, especially when their trauma occurs with a caregiver. International surveys show that traumatic experiences are very common across the world. One study showed that nearly half of all children in the United States are exposed to at least one traumatic social or family