Childhood Stress & Grief

There are a number of events that create childhood stress and grief.  Many adults will recall these kinds of events in their childhood and still notice twinges of pain, grief, resentment, anger, shame and/or anxiety. When those memories are not calm and peaceful, they have the potential to interrupt and affect your daily life. Healing is possible.  You can make peace with those painful memories...even if no one ever apologizes for their responsibility in causing your pain.

I can help you deal with grief and loss.
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Debbra Bronstad-Riemann, Grief Recovery CoachDebbra Bronstad-Riemann, LMFT, Grief Recovery Coach MI #4101006638

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Examples of Stressful Childhood Events:

  • Death of a parent
  • Acquiring a visible deformity
  • Divorce of parents
  • Becoming involved with drugs or alcohol
  • Marital separation of parents
  • Death of a brother or sister
  • Teen pregnancy
  • Discovery of being an adopted child
  • Marriage of parent to stepparent
  • Death of a close friend
  • Going to a new school
  • Birth of a sibling
  • Serious illness requiring hospitalization
  • Bullying
  • Learning disabilities

Additional items are found on the Holmes & Rahe Stress Inventory for Non-Adults which you can view here

The Holmes & Rahe Inventory highlights life events.  Other stress experiences for children may include living in an environment of

  • Verbal abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • High violence/crime in the neighborhood
  • Being falsely accused
  • Addiction
  • Neglect
  • Homelessness

What to do when childhood stress still disturbs you

Childhood grief and stress events may still effect you as an adult in several different ways including:

  • Flashbacks where in your mind and emotions you are reliving the painful events.
  • Nightmares
  • Feeling like a child - unprepared for adult decisions
  • Selfishness / demanding in relationships
  • Overreactions to partner's, friend's or children's needs or requests

If you have suffered from abuse or violence or witnessed traumatic events, you may be experiencing post traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Counseling can help to resolve the pain and grief of your childhood so that you can experience peace again and gain confidence in adult decisions and relationships. 

I specialize in helping my clients discover and address the root issues of anxiety, emotional pain and problems in relationships. Many times conflict between couples is rooted in unresolved painful emotions and memories from childhood.  Many individuals and couples are unconscious of the ways they are carrying their pain into their current relationships, repeating patterns of dysfunction.  It doesn't have to be this way.

Give me a call today and we can talk about how counseling can help you reduce symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or anxiety.

Return to Definition of Stress from Childhood Stress