What impact does stress have on the growing brain?
In: Biology
Hi, I’m studying Childhood Development. A lot of good answers here but I feel that its not quite answered LI5.
When a child is chronically stressed, They can revert to a fight or flight mode. Traumatised children can be in this mode for months or even years if they do not receive therapeutic parenting.
While in this mode, they will not feel safe enough to explore their relationships with others or the world around them. This stunts their psychological development until they feel safe in their environment and with the adults around them.
This can often be why we see traumatised children of 8 years old behaving like babies, reverting back to “goo-goo ga-ga” baby talk and behaviour when exposed to stress. They don’t know how to behave, that section of their development was completely missed because they were too stressed to learn basic behaviours.
If these critical building blocks of their development are not addressed then it can have permanent effects into adult life. Depression, lack of empathy, prone to violence. Not good.
The best way to combat these missing blocks is to parent them at their ‘Developmental age’. Traumatised grown boy regularly acting like a baby and having a tantrum? Give him cuddles and don’t judge them, they are trying to communicate that they are stressed and don’t know how to deal with their emotions. Like a baby.
Here are some fancy diagrams and fuller explanation of different stages of development. [https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-development-2795740](https://www.verywellmind.com/erik-eriksons-stages-of-psychosocial-development-2795740)
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