Abstract

Childhood traumas appear to be a risk factor in the development of anxiety disorders, both in childhood and adulthood. Exposure to trauma as a child can have an influence on brain development, and traumas in childhood can lead to attachment difficulties that are expressed as anxiety disorders. Childhood maltreatment, social media influences, and other environmental factors can act as traumas that contribute to these disorders and alter brain development and function, experiences of chronic pain, and anxiety disorders in adulthood. 

Introduction

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, crime, natural disaster, physical or emotional abuse, neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence, and death of a loved one” that usually results in shock, denial and unpredictable emotions. The long-lasting effects of childhood trauma may be expressed differently depending on an individual’s characteristics as well as the intensity of the event (Yilmaz et al., 2022). Complex traumas may involve an interpersonal event, where the trauma is developed alongside interaction with another person, or non-personal events, where the trauma results from an indirect experience. Terr (2003) classifies childhood traumas as type 1 and type 2, where type 1 traumas involve flashbulb memories, vivid imaginations, and misperceptions, while type 2 traumas include denial, self-hypnosis, and rage. Crossover conditions arise after unexpected events, such as deaths or accidents, that leave children in shock (Terr, 2003).

Exposure to childhood traumas can influence brain development over time and lead to changes in structure and functioning (Cross et al., 2019). The standard functioning of the hippocampus, under normal neurological conditions, involves receipt of perceptual information, which it binds to contextual information. Under adverse neurological conditions that are shaped by trauma, the hippocampus and the amygdala cannot facilitate perception and conceptualising. Chronic fear and stress can lead to continued action of the physiological response system (Cross et al., 2019). 

Children’s attachment is mainly influenced by the behaviours of the caregivers. If the caregiver provides the sensitivity that the child seeks, a secure attachment forms. If the sensitivity is not given, anxious attachment patterns in the child become more prevalent. Children who experience poor treatment by their caregivers, or the absence of a relationship of trust, may develop agoraphobia and separation anxiety. 

Childhood traumas are often initiated by experiences of physical and mental abuse, neglect, and insufficient care at the hands of the primary caregiver. The longitudinal effects of childhood traumas include increased risk of developing anxiety disorders, physical changes in brain functions, and many other medical conditions. This paper aims to explore the connections between childhood traumas and anxiety disorder development in adulthood. We will investigate this relationship by exploring topics from the neurobiological impacts of trauma on brain structure and function to social interactions, social media, and attachment. 

Neurobiological Impact of Childhood Trauma on Anxiety Development

Evidence suggests that consistent exposure to stress and intense emotions during childhood substantially impacts a range of physiological systems. Consistent exposure, in which stress and intense emotions are recurring themes throughout childhood, can lead to the sensitisation of the central nervous system, interfering with its regulation of emotion. Furthermore, this can cause a neurological deficit, increased vulnerability to stress, and the development of emotional and behavioural issues, cognitive and relationship difficulties, physical health challenges, problems of self-esteem and identity, and increased risk of mental health issues in the future. 

When persistently under stress, the central nervous system, which regulates emotions, can be subject to neurological deficits, which result in increased vulnerability and possibly the development of anxiety and depression, as well as other mood disorders later in life. Early life stress has been shown to alter neurotransmitter systems, which can further increase stress sensitivity; research also suggests that childhood stress can induce long-lived hyperactivity of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems (Heim & Nemeroff, 2001). This early stress may also be linked with possible psychopathology. Current research is working to find strategies and solutions to help prevent this kind of development later in life and reverse the detrimental effects of childhood stress on the central nervous system (CNS). 

Evidence pulled together from a variety of studies shows evidence that early mistreatment can lead to a vast range and persistence of mental disorders. They found that in those who experienced mistreatment, rates of depression were increased, as were rates of  post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other behavioural disorders (Heim & Nemeroff, 2001). Early parental loss has also been associated with unipolar and bipolar depression and anxiety disorders. Childhood adversity accounted for 32.4% of the population attributable risk fraction for anxiety disorders (Teicher & Samson, 2013). Various types of abuse were responsible for increasing the severity of social phobia, as well as disability, and reduced quality of life. 

Additionally, emotional neglect and abuse in the early years were a significant risk factor for social phobia. A study showed that childhood physical and sexual abuse correlated with an increased risk of specific phobias (such as social phobia), generalised anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia. This childhood maltreatment plays a significant role in increasing one’s risk of experiencing depressive and anxious episodes (Hovens et al., 2015). Childhood trauma can impact the mind, brain, and body, which leads to higher vulnerability to disorders later in life; the trauma physically damages the brain by provoking toxic stress and pressure on the brain (Purnomo, 2020). Cognitive and emotional dysregulation are important factors that can significantly affect depression and anxiety symptoms in patients struggling with the after-effects of childhood trauma (Huh et al., 2017). 

Changes in Brain Structure and Function

Childhood trauma can cause changes in brain function and structure, leading to anxiety disorders and panic attacks in adulthood. For the brain to function properly, all parts need to be able to effectively communicate with one another. However, if the brainstem, the part of the brain that is responsible for survival, is continuously being triggered throughout childhood due to traumatic situations, connections between different parts of the brain will be reduced. This can affect one’s ability to regulate emotions, remain calm, form memories, learn, and think (Traumatic Stress NHS Wales).

In addition, research shows that childhood trauma can cause one’s brain to have a reduction in volume in the hippocampus (an area of the brain responsible for remembering what happened during a traumatic event), and in an area of the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that is responsible for regulating thoughts, actions, and emotions). Additionally, childhood trauma can result in an enlarged amygdala, which is the alarm centre of the brain that is responsible for detecting and responding to threats (Traumatic Stress NHS Wales; Spinazzola & Wilson, 2024; Binensztok, 2020). 

These changes in brain structure alter brain activity in modified areas. For instance, an enlarged amygdala creates an increase in a reaction to danger. So, people who have this structural change might detect danger or threats when there are none, causing them to be anxious about minor occurrences (Binensztok, 2020). Additionally, these brain changes can cause an overproduction of stress hormones during childhood, which can wear down the immune system and lead to the draining of hormones which are necessary to tolerate stressful situations by adulthood (Spinazzola & Wilson, 2024).   

Trauma’s Impact on the Nervous System

In stressful situations, whether caused by an environmental factor (such as an impending deadline) or a psychological factor (such as the recurring fear of losing a loved one), can set off a chain reaction of stress hormones that lead to a series of physiological changes in an individual’s body (LeWine, 2024). As the mind races to resolve the stressor, it causes physical reactions in the body – sweating, rapid heartbeat, uncontrolled breathing – that can make the situation worse. This combination of reactions to stressors is most commonly known as the “fight-or-flight” response. One can fight off the threat or escape to safety thanks to the well-planned, almost immediate sequence of hormonal changes and physiological reactions. 

Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to non-life-threatening stressors like traffic delays, strain at work, and family issues. This can cause more long-term issues and can result in post-traumatic stress disorder when not managed (DBT and Mental Health Services, 2020). A study conducted by Howard LeWine from the Harvard Medical School explains the detrimental effect of chronic stress, stating that chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, promotes the formation of artery-clogging deposits, and causes brain changes that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and addiction (LeWine, 2024).

In more traumatic moments, especially in moments where previous trauma is faced again, the body can “freeze” in a manner known as the “Dorsal Vagal Shutdown” (Neff, 2024). The shutdown can be considered as the body’s natural way to inactivate itself in response to severe stress or trauma. Everything seems as if it’s slowing down in this state to save energy. Although the dorsal vagal response is a more specific concept within trauma’s impact on the central nervous system, the broader phenomenon of hyperarousal is widely recognised in neurobiology. 

Hyperarousal is a psychophysiological state experienced by many people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As its name suggests, hyperarousal is marked by excessive psychological and physical arousal that can interfere with day-to-day life and sleep, and can cause individuals to get involved in accidents, combat, natural disasters, and sexual violence. Christopher Bergland researched the potential causes of hyperarousal and concluded that hyperarousal doesn’t need a large trigger for an individual to be affected by it. Some of the examples involve the experience of sensory stimuli which are linked to a traumatic event, and in turn induce flashbacks. These include: catching the scent of diesel fuel, which can trigger flashbacks to a life-threatening event, if that smell is linked to the time and place the trauma occurred; hearing an old song in the checkout line at a store that brings back a wave of vivid memories associated with a traumatic event; or simply seeing a rain icon in the weather forecast which can trigger a hyperarousal reaction if a PTSD-inducing automobile accident had occurred in the past (Bergland, 2024). 

Effects on the Nervous System: In the Long Term

Childhood trauma, and any type of trauma, disrupts the nervous system and can lead to PTSD. PTSD is a mental health condition caused by either experiencing or witnessing an extremely traumatic event. Symptoms of this condition include flashbacks, severe anxiety, nightmares, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event (Mayo Clinic, 2024). These symptoms are broken into four groups: intrusive memories, avoidance, changes in physical and emotional reactions, and negative changes in thinking and mood (Mayo Clinic, 2024).  

When in a stressful situation, the sympathetic nervous system is activated. However, high exposure to a trigger can interfere with the nervous system’s ability to bring the body back to a calm state (Orchestrate Health, 2023). The brain and nervous system work together to protect someone from danger by putting the body into a flight-or-fight state. Once the threat is gone, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for using hormones to slow down the frantic response to relax the body (DBT & Mental Health Services, 2020). This is called the window of tolerance – when a person can self-regulate after a stressful situation. The window of tolerance is the most effective state of arousal or stimulation for a person to function (DBT & Mental Health Services, 2020).

However, if a child is constantly afraid or under stress when growing up, the nervous system may not develop normally, including how the body responds to stress (The National Child Traumatic Stress Center). For example, as the child grows, they might respond by “overreacting” to an everyday stressor because their body is used to defending itself from highly stressful situations. Youth who are frequently traumatised suffer from body dysregulation, which means they under-respond or over-respond to sensory stimuli. This includes sensitivity to certain senses like smells, touch, sounds, or lights. Alternatively, they might “tune out” their environment’s threats, making them susceptible to revictimisation. This is called emotional numbing. 

In traumatic events, the nervous system can get stuck outside of its ability to regulate itself. In some people, the system can get stuck in the “on” position, and the person cannot calm themselves down. These individuals are often overstimulated and may experience anxiety, panic, anger, and hyperactivity (DBT & Mental Health Services, 2020). Examples of children experiencing future PTSD include those who have experienced dating violence and those who are survivors of Hurricane Katrina (Sherin & Nemeroff, 2011). According to Sherin and Nemeroffs’ study, children who experience childhood or prenatal stress may experience greater subsequent stress reactivity and vulnerability to develop PTSD. 

Traumatic experiences in childhood have been linked to medical conditions that may occur later in life (The National Child Traumatic Stress Centre). The Adverse Childhood Experience Study is a longitudinal study that includes over 17,000 participants ranging from ages 19 to 90. The study collects data on the participant’s medical history, while also collecting data on the subject’s exposure to childhood trauma, including abuse, violence, and impaired caregivers. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Centre, “results indicated that nearly 64% of participants experienced at least one exposure, and of those, 69% reported two or more incidents of childhood trauma.” These results showed that there was a connection between exposure to childhood trauma and medical factors such as heart disease and cancer, as well as a correlation to high-risk behaviours like smoking and unprotected sex (The National Child Traumatic Stress Centre).

Does Excessive Social Media Use Hinder the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders?

In recent years, the impact of social media on mental health has become a significant area of concern, especially when it comes to its effects on anxiety disorders. According to the National Library of Medicine, the use of social media networks is strongly correlated with the development of anxiety and other psychological problems, such as depression, insomnia, stress, decreased subjective happiness, and a sense of mental deprivation. 

In 2005 and 2015, the Pews Research Centre researched social media usage. It concluded that a massive rise in social media usage has been seen in adolescents and teens, increasing from 12% in 2005 to 90% in 2015. This indicates excessive social media use in adolescents and teens. When adolescents and teens experience excessive social media use, a chemical called dopamine is released in their brains. Dopamine is a type of monoamine neurotransmitter that’s produced in the brain and acts as a hormone. Over time, the abundant release of dopamine, in quantities that are abnormally high, causes a deficit in the brain. Dr Anna Lembke, a psychiatry professor, explains, “we go into a dopamine deficit state. That’s the way the brain restores homeostasis: if there’s a huge deviation upward, then there’s going to be a deviation downward. That’s essentially the comedown…” (McNamara, 2021).  

Social media platforms are designed to release bursts of dopamine, the brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitter, which can create addictive patterns of behaviour similar to those seen in anxiety disorders. The research on the role of dopamine in anxiety is still being explored, but several sources came to the same conclusion that high dopamine symptoms include anxiety disorders. Multiple forms of anxiety are not situational but are instead associated with an elevation or drop in certain neurotransmitters or chemicals in the brain. The main chemical believed to cause anxiety is dopamine. Some evidence indicates that high dopamine levels, as can be generated by social media use, can cause anxiety disorders. The quick dopamine hits from social media can make it tougher for adolescents and teenagers to stay on track with their long-term anxiety disorder treatment. Therefore, the bursts of dopamine generated by social media use can be a challenge to the implementation of treatments for anxiety disorders. Instead of breaking free from anxious thought patterns, they might get stuck in a cycle of short-term rewards that keep feeding the anxiety disorder. On top of that, constantly being overstimulated by social media can make anxiety worse by increasing stress levels and encouraging unhealthy coping habits, which can set back progress in therapy. 

When adolescents and teenagers are undergoing anxiety disorder treatment, they are most likely to have a positive outcome after the treatment. But when adolescents and teenagers are undergoing anxiety disorder treatment while having an unnecessary excessive usage of social media, they are most likely to have a negative outcome of the anxiety disorder treatment. Researchers at Iowa State University found a simple intervention could help. During a two-week experiment with 230 college students, half were asked to limit their social media usage to 30 minutes a day and received automated, daily reminders. They scored significantly lower for anxiety, depression, loneliness, and fear of missing out at the end of the experiment compared to the control group. They also scored higher for “positive affect,” which the researchers describe as “the tendency to experience positive emotions described with words such as ‘excited’ and ‘proud’”. Essentially, they had a brighter outlook on life. The constant dopamine stimulation caused by social media use makes it tougher for people to focus on activities that help manage anxiety, like mindfulness or face-to-face interactions. In short, excessive social media use can hinder the treatment of anxiety disorders because it keeps triggering high levels of dopamine, which can heighten anxiety.

Childhood Maltreatment and Attachment

Childhood traumas can be an important factor in the development of many psychiatric disorders in the future stages of an individual’s life, as well as in childhood. Childhood traumas can be generated from external events the child observes and witnesses, such as witnessing a serious accident, or can be generated from internal events that the child goes through, which includes child maltreatment (Terr, 2003). Child maltreatment refers to all forms of physical and emotional ill-treatment, abuse, and neglect that result in potential or actual harm in a child’s health and development (Gonzalez et al., 2021b). Neglect as a form of child maltreatment may include insufficient health care, education, protection, needs, and even love and care the child seeks. Physical abuse may involve beating, burning, and biting, and psychological abuse includes humiliation and verbal abuse. All of these forms of child maltreatment can results in future psychological disorders in the child (Gonzalez et al., 2021). 

Childhood maltreatment can result in various negative consequences, including the development of mental illnesses and maladaptive attachment styles. Adults who have experienced childhood maltreatment tend to experience interpersonal relationship difficulties (Shahab et al., 2021). Findings of a study by Colman and Widom (2004) show that adults who have experienced childhood maltreatment form less stable connections and relationships. The relationship patterns were established by different types of maltreatment. Adult attachment styles are also influenced by childhood maltreatment, and affect the quality of intimacy in relationships (Shaver & Hazan, 1993). In a secure attachment style, individuals seek deep, meaningful, and reinforcing relationships, while in an avoidant attachment type, individuals are distressed about their relationships and lack trust in their partner. Moreover, studies show that in adulthood, avoidant and anxious-ambivalent attachment styles mediate relationships. According to the results of a study conducted by Riggs and Kaminski (2010), college students in a dating relationship stated that childhood maltreatment has a major influence on insecure attachment styles in adulthood. Unger de Luca (2014) discovered that witnessing physical abuse as a child is connected to an avoidant attachment style as well as an anxious attachment style in adulthood.

Adults who have an avoidant or anxious attachment style tend to experience other difficulties that arise from negative emotions and thoughts. The link between depression, anxiety, and insecure attachment types in adulthood has been investigated by Widom et al. (2018) in a study. In a longitudinal study that followed, 650 adults with a history of child maltreatment were investigated. The sample had a recorded history of neglect and physical abuse. The results showed that avoidant and anxious attachment styles in adulthood are correlated with anxiety and depression. 

Child and Caregiver Attachment

Attachment theory proposes that (1) patterns of attachment can be stable across an individual’s life, and (2) psychopathology development can also be explained by attachment patterns (Jewell et al., 2019). The quality of the child and caregiver attachment is associated with psychological functioning in the future. Child maltreatment can lead to the child developing traumas due to attachment difficulties with their caregivers. Various researchers put forward that a secure attachment style develops with the validation of a child’s actions and emotions. In the presence of child maltreatment, children often develop insecure attachment styles, which have been connected to poor mental health. When secure attachment fails to be established, the child becomes insufficient in regulating emotions, becomes vulnerable, and psychopathologies start to appear (Stevens, 2014). Difficulties in emotion regulation are commonly also seen in a range of psychopathologies, which could explain the relationships between insecure attachment styles and increased experience of psychopathologies. According to McElwain and Booth-LaForce (2006), maternal sensitivity towards infant discomfort is significantly indicative of a secure attachment style. It has also been linked to a decrease in behavioural issues, a reduction in emotional reactivity, and an improvement in regulation. Children who have established a secure attachment style feel less negative emotions, due to improved abilities in regulating emotions and distress. In a longitudinal study that focused on infant and caregiver attachment, it was found that a part of the relationship between maternal sensitivity and attachment was mediated by affect regulation skills (Braungart-Rieker et al., 2001). This suggests that the child’s ability to regulate emotions is highly dependent upon the caregiver and the environment they create. 

Children with caregivers who continuously counter stress and discomfort in sensitive and “caring” ways feel comforted by the thought that they can express negative feelings and the caregiver can comfort them. The approach to dealing with discomfort is secure because the infant knows what to do with a respondent caregiver. However, children whose caregivers have a rejecting and ignoring way of coping with stress and discomfort build an avoidant and insecure strategy towards their caregiver when dealing with stress. Children with caregivers that have inconsistent responses to stress, where the child is expected to interfere with the discomfort and stress that the caregiver has, develop extremely negative feelings to draw attention from their unpredictably responsive caregiver. This strategy that the child forms, in the case of inconsistent caregivers, is related to increasing the potential of developing psychological disorders. 

Around 15% of children with low psychological risk and many children in high-risk situations do not utilise the above three approaches when dealing with distress (Benoit, 2004). These children are said to have a disorganised attachment. One path that leads a child to form a disorganised attachment is the exposure of the child to distorted caregiver behaviour. These distorted behaviours are atypical, usually referred to as “frightening, dissociated.” There is confirmation that caregivers who display atypical behaviours have a history of childhood maltreatment and unresolved emotional or physical trauma themselves. In a study, the three organised stages (secure, avoidant, and resistant) are evaluated in the Strange Situation (SS), where a 20-minute laboratory procedure categorises the patterns in the infant’s behaviour toward the caregiver. Infants with a secure attachment approach their caregiver, maintain the connection, and continue to play with the toys given, while infants with an avoidant attachment fail to approach, act unaware, and avoid the caregiver (Benoit, 2004). The results suggest that a secure and caring approach from the caregiver serves as a protection against social and emotional maladjustment, while children who are approached with an insecure approach become more stressed, especially when separating from the caregiver and getting out of their comfort zone. This can contribute to the development of separation anxiety and agoraphobia. 

Trauma, Attachment, and Anxiety Disorders

Classical attachment theory is a fundamental construct in the psychological models of anxiety disorders. The development of anxiety disorders is believed to be the product of a complex interplay between various factors involving genetics and the environment, with early attachment experiences serving as the primary mediator (Nolte et al., 2011).

As learning can occur indirectly by observing a model, children often mimic the behaviour of the adult, as the adult acts as a model in the child-caregiver relationship. In a study conducted by Gerull and Rapee (2002) on mothers without anxiety disorders, it was discovered that the mother’s modelling of fear generated fear reactions in their infants. This mirroring is inherent to development within the parent-child attachment. Thus, attachment theory incorporates the results emerging from the many fields exploring intersections of stress and anxiety disorders, by offering a developmental account of both maladaptive and normative stress regulation (Nolte et al., 2011). 

The main purpose of the attachment system is to sustain the dynamic between the infant and the caregiver. The dynamic provides space for the adjustments of inadequate caregiving that results, in some cases, in the caregiver being inconsistently responsive and abusive. Therefore, in the cases where the infant faces distress, the primary attachment strategies fail, and secondary strategies arise to cope with the situation and regulate anxiety (Cassidy & Kobak, 1988). Insecure attachment and dependence on secondary strategies expand the probability of psychopathologies. Anxious attachment and using hyperactivating strategies lead to various anxiety disorders. Thus, the use of hyperactivating techniques can anticipate a broad spectrum of transdiagnostic anxiety behaviours (Nolte et al., 2011). Anxiously attached children repeatedly worry about being abandoned, though this often develops into ambivalent attachment in adults with anxiety disorders. Kobak et al. (2004) found that in PTSD in particular, there is a high frequency of disorganised attachment, which indicates childhood trauma can trigger psychopathologies like PTSD and anxiety disorders. 

Separation anxiety disorder (SAD), one of the most common childhood anxiety disorders, is defined as a negative emotion, worry, or a feeling like loneliness that a child experiences when separated from their caregiver or attached figure (Mofrad et al., 2010). According to Bowlby (1969), separation anxiety is related to the separation response’s protest stage. Even though separation anxiety is, to some extent, a normal reaction to the disruption of attachment, pathogenic family experiences such as loss, separation, and child maltreatment can sharpen these reactions (Sable, 1994). Agoraphobia is a condition that is referred to as the fear of open places, leaving home, or separating from a comfortable person or place (Sable, 1994). People who show agoraphobic behaviour are apprehensive about the trustworthiness of the attachment figures. Parker (1979) conducted a study that was based on questionnaires comparing agoraphobic and non-agoraphobic individuals, and found that the individuals who experienced agoraphobia reported poor maternal care. Ruderman (1992) discovered a similar report on psychotherapy with a woman who was afraid to leave a home, and described her mother as physically abusive and emotionally absent.

Treatments and Medications

Psychotherapy remains a cornerstone of treatment for trauma-related anxiety disorders. Among the various therapeutic approaches, cognitive behavioural therapy has emerged as a highly effective and well-researched method. CBT focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviours associated with traumatic experiences. By restructuring cognitive distortions and developing coping skills, CBT helps individuals manage their symptoms and improve overall functioning.

A meta-analysis conducted by Craske et al. (2014) further solidified CBT’s efficacy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study found that CBT was significantly superior to placebo in reducing PTSD symptom severity, thus demonstrating its effectiveness in addressing the core symptoms of the disorder. These include hyperarousal, avoidance, and intrusive re-experiencing. Exposure therapy is another essential component of CBT for trauma-related anxiety disorders. This technique involves gradually exposing individuals to the feared stimuli or situations associated with their traumatic experiences. By confronting their fears in a controlled and supportive environment, individuals can learn to manage their anxiety responses and reduce avoidance behaviours. A study by Rothbaum et al. (2000) highlighted the effectiveness of prolonged exposure therapy in treating PTSD in veterans. The researchers found that participants who received prolonged exposure therapy experienced significant reductions in PTSD symptoms compared to those who received a placebo treatment.

While CBT and exposure therapy have been extensively studied, newer approaches like Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) have also shown promise in treating PTSD. EMDR involves guiding individuals through a series of bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, while focusing on the traumatic memories. This is believed to help process and resolve traumatic memories, leading to a reduction in symptoms. A meta-analysis by Van der Kolk et al. (2007) compared the effectiveness of EMDR to CBT for PTSD. The study found that both approaches were comparable in their ability to reduce PTSD symptoms, suggesting that individuals may benefit from either treatment depending on their preferences and clinical needs.

In addition to psychotherapy, medication can also play a valuable role in managing symptoms of trauma-related anxiety disorders. Antidepressants, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), are often prescribed to help regulate mood and reduce anxiety symptoms. An analysis by Wiles et al. (2006) found that SSRIs were effective in reducing PTSD symptoms, indicating their potential benefits for individuals with the disorder.

However, it’s important to note that medication is often used in conjunction with psychotherapy for optimal outcomes. The combined approach can provide comprehensive support and address both the psychological and biological aspects of trauma-related anxiety disorders.

The choice of treatment often depends on the specific type of anxiety disorder and the severity of symptoms. For example, individuals with PTSD may benefit from a combination of CBT and medication, while those with generalised anxiety disorder might respond just as well to CBT alone.

Beyond these traditional approaches, emerging therapies are also showing promise in addressing trauma-related anxiety disorders. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are effective in reducing anxiety symptoms and improving overall well-being. These therapies emphasise mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based living, helping individuals develop coping skills and cultivate a sense of resilience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is an association between childhood trauma and developing anxiety disorders in adulthood. Our research has explored various topics, including the neurobiological impact on anxiety development, changes in brain function and structure, the impact of the nervous system in the moment of trauma and the long term (PTSD), social media’s effect on anxiety disorder, and childhood maltreatment. Lastly, we looked at treatments and medications for those who experience anxiety due to childhood trauma, and how to deal with it in everyday life. 

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