By: Srushti Godhani
Everyone experiences stress no matter if they are an infant, child, teen, adult, or senior. There are many factors that can affect how a person behaves, speaks, feels, or performs daily activities throughout their lives which a large majority from childhood. They can include genetics, relationships, temperament, and the environment one lives in.
When a child experiences stress, there are 3 primary responses; positive, tolerable, and toxic. Positive stress responses are a normal part of human development. When a person is stressed in this case, their heart rate briefly increases and a mild rise in hormone stress levels occurs. In a tolerable stress response which is more serious, the body activates its alert systems more than usual which can occur due to the loss of a loved one. If such types of responses occur repeatedly, without the support of an adult, it can cause serious damage to one’s health. The last type of stress response is a toxic stress response which occurs when a child experiences prolonged anxiety such as physical or emotional abuse, caregiver substance abuse, mental illnesses, and exposure to violence without any emotional support.
Through a more neurological viewpoint, early toxic stress can affect a child’s development and change one’s brain anatomy and gene expression if it is really severe and frequent. Toxic stress affects the growing brain's architecture, which can lead to lifetime learning and behavior issues, alongside physical and mental health issues. The Hypothalamic Pituitary and Adrenal (HPA) hormone axis is over-activated when a kid is exposed to toxic stress. The stress hormone cortisol levels in the blood rise as a result, which can lead to long-term alterations in inflammation and immunity.
As toxic responses occur more frequently in an individual's life, it can drastically affect the child's mental and physical health. Examples of some disorders early stress can cause in adulthood include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder (ASD), adjustment disorders, disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED) and many more. One specific disorder which many disregard is dissociative identity disorder (DID). DID is a mental health condition where a person has two or more separate identities or “alters” that control their behavior during different times. Each identity also has its own way of living with varying personal history, traits, likes and dislikes. DID can additionally lead to gaps in memory and hallucinations. Although it is a rare disorder, those who have suffered physical or sexual abuse can experiences it. Alongside disorders, a child who has experienced ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) are most likely susceptible to other health problems like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, asthma, and illicit drug use.
There are various things you can do to help a child overcome stressful times. If a child shows signs of stress such as recurring headaches, increased irritability, sadness, panic, anger, being more quiet than usual, trouble relaxing or sleeping, and many more, it is important to talk to a mental health professional or a therapist. Parents, friends, and relatives can also play a role in helping the individual recover through physical contact (ex: hugging), listening, encouragement, honesty, security, physical exercise, humor, a balanced diet and many more. Although one may not notice, being in close contact with loved ones is always the hidden answer in easing stress. As they always say, “Love begins by taking care of the closest ones, the ones at home”.
References:
Canadian Child Care Federation. (n.d.). Stress in Children | Child Health and Safety - CCCF. Https://Cccf-Fcsge.ca/. Retrieved March 18, 2022, from https://cccf-fcsge.ca/ece-resources/topics/child-health-safety/stress-children/
Cleveland Clinic. (2016, April 20). Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9792-dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder
Harvard University. (2015). Toxic Stress. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/
Obermeier, M. (2019, May 20). How Childhood Stress Can Enhance or Hinder Brain Development. Medium. https://medium.com/@monikaobermeier/childhood-stress-e723a9d0fe09
Phang, K. (2017). Toxic Stress: How the Body’s Response Can Harm a Child’s Development. Nationwidechildrens.org. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2017/07/toxic-stress-how-the-bodys-response-can-harm-a-childs-development
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. (2017, June 14). Trauma and Stressor-related Disorders in Children | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Chop.edu. https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/trauma-and-stressor-related-disorders-children
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