Because it always comes back to childhood stuff, doesn’t it?

They’re the moments that wire (or, maybe, rewire?) our core. They’re the experiences that dictate what triggers us in adulthood.

Childhood traumas can be something easily identifiable, like physical abuse, injury, and bullying, but they also come quietly in the night: neglect, feeling unloved, gaslighting. All that fun stuff.

And they stick with us. They chip away and take their toll over the years.

ACEs, also called “Adverse Childhood Experiences,” are the deeply rooted tragedies that we carry—the weights that keep us stuck and unhappy.

Hopefully, by identifying the signs, we can heal the wounds.

Here are eight signs of unresolved childhood trauma:

1. Feeling constantly burdened by guilt, shame, and regret.

2. Feeling anxious for no identifiable reason.

3. Emotionally distant.

4. It is a struggle to be happy; it feels more “comfortable” to stay in a rut of negativity, denial, and self-sabotage.

5. Constant sense of self-loathing.

6. Emotional self-destruction, meaning low self-esteem and cyclical, self-defeating thoughts.

7. Inability to keep emotions under control and low stress-tolerance.

8. Tendency to gravitate toward toxic people and relationships.

Whether you can check a box on one or all of these indicators, you’re not alone. (Lord knows I can mark some Xs of my own here!)

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Watch the video for a more in-depth explanation. Enjoy: