Everyone has a story and for many young people this can be very challenging and often overwhelming. These stories tend to include one or more of the below:
Chronic Stress and Adversity: Many challenging life stories involve ongoing exposure to stress or adversity, such as poverty, neglect, discrimination, chronic illness, or family dysfunction. This constant exposure can overwhelm the body's stress response system, leading to emotional dysregulation, hypervigilance, and difficulty coping with challenges.
Loss and Separation: Challenging life stories often involve significant losses, such as the death of a loved one, separation from family, or loss of security and stability. These losses can trigger grief, loneliness, and feelings of isolation, potentially leading to complex emotions like guilt or anger.
Unmet Needs and Lack of Safety: When basic needs for safety, belonging, and autonomy are not met, it can be traumatizing, especially for children. This can occur in situations like neglectful or abusive environments, where individuals may feel constantly threatened or unsafe, lacking the necessary support and resources to thrive.
Internalised Shame and Blame: Challenging life stories can lead to individuals internalising blame or shame for the events they experienced, even if they were not at fault. This can distort their self-perception and erode their sense of worth, impacting their self-esteem and relationships.
Disrupted Attachment and Development: Traumatic experiences in early childhood can disrupt healthy attachment patterns and affect brain development, impacting emotional regulation, social skills, and self-image. This can make it difficult to form trusting relationships and navigate life effectively.
Vulnerability to Future Trauma: Challenging life stories can increase vulnerability to future trauma due to factors like altered stress responses, difficulty trusting others, and heightened sensitivity to triggers. This can create a cyclical pattern of difficult experiences, impacting overall well-being.
We are here to support young people as they process their past stories and support them as they create new ones.