Have you ever heard the phrase that abuse is a cycle?

Many people who have experienced trauma and abuse are more likely to re-experience it. They remain in cycles of harm through a series of violence and trauma-inducing behaviors.

The acronym ACEs stands for “Adverse Childhood Experiences.” These are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood and can include abuse, neglect, and violence. In the United States, ACEs are common, with studies reporting that around 64% of adults have experienced one or more ACE before the age of 18 [1]. Depending on factors such as the individual, type of event, and developmental timing, the effects of ACEs can be detrimental. 

Figure 1 “Pathways adversity to mental illness” [2].

ACEs have been linked to various mental disorders and behavioral issues later in life. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even found that 21 million cases of depression in the United States may have been averted by preventing ACEs [3]. More health effects such as dissociation, numbing, anxiety, depression, and inhibited emotional development are frequent [4]. Children who experience trauma can end up with prolonged levels of stress, which can negatively affect their brain development and stress response systems; they may become dysregulated, and their sensitized stress response systems can lead to them constantly wanting balance. This sense of disbalance means that the children do not have a “normal” sense of regularity. Thus, trauma affects the core beliefs people have about life and their relationships with others. 

Figure 2 “The impact of developmental experience.” Adversity and connectedness can affect health outcomes, and this figure relates the two in the form of a scale. Higher adversity and lower connectedness correlate with increased developmental risk and poor health (black dashed line), while low adversity and high connectedness correlate with low developmental risk and reduced health issues (blue dashed line) [5].

Trauma also can have detrimental effects on the brain. The human brain is described as plastic because, to some extent, the brain has neuroplasticity and can alter based on a person’s experiences. This plasticity can be positive; your brain can adapt the more you learn, and it is also harmful. The brain’s adaptive behavior in response to trauma can affect relational aspects and result in recurring cycles of abuse. Trauma can affect the limbic system in the brain, which is responsible for alerting a person of potential threats and increasing responses, like the fight or flight response and hyperarousal [6]. The frontal lobe, essential for critical thinking and decision-making, is another region usually affected by trauma and can become less active. 

Figure 3 Anatomy of the brain [7].

Childhood trauma and ACEs can have persisting effects that continue into adulthood, impacting how survivors interact with others and increasing their vulnerability to interpersonal abuse and violence later in life. This is due in part to the fact that people who experienced ACEs that involved some relational aspect like parental abuse will have faulty understandings of how healthy relationships work. They may trust others more quickly and not notice warning signals in relationships. In childhood, they learned that those they love and trust can hurt them, so they may give up their trust more easily in adulthood, even to harmful individuals [8]. This abusive dynamic due to trauma becomes a sense of routine for trauma victims.

 “Since the abuse seemed so normal growing up, people will often attempt to recreate that normalcy in future relationships.” – Gregory L. Jantz.

When people experience trauma and abuse at a young age, they may experience low levels of self-worth. Many times, trauma victims internalize the abuse and end up creating harmful beliefs due to the traumatic event. These distorted views hinder trauma victims from reaching out for help when faced with abuse from partners or relatives since they may believe that this is the sort of treatment they deserve. 

Another thing to consider is that people who experience trauma are not given the care or affection they deserve, which results in victims having stronger urges for those connections later on. This may consequently compel them to remain in violent relationships.

A more detrimental effect of childhood relational trauma is the formation of disorganized attachment styles [9]. Disorganized attachment is a type of attachment style that results from childhood trauma and can cause confusion and fear regarding relationships. Later in life, a trauma victim who has disorganized attachment may fear being alone or abandoned by their partner and so decide to hold on closely to that relationship, even if it is abusive. This can also end up negatively affecting their healthy relationships since they may become too attached to those people and result in unhealthy dependence. 

Despite these effects, healing is possible. Therapy can help individuals recognize negative aspects of their relationships or thinking. Specific therapy techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy equip patients with self-regulating tools to create balance. The therapist becomes a type of healthy bond for trauma patients [10]. Creating healthy attachments in therapy is imperative since it forms a model of secure relationships for trauma survivors. One practice in therapy is helping the patient to develop a sense of identity. Therapists help clients not look for balance in their partner but learn self-regulating techniques, which are especially useful since trauma instills imbalance and dysregulation in victims [10]. When victims learn to self-regulate, they develop strategies to rely on themselves for support rather than on a romantic partner. 

Figure 4 Cognitive behavioral therapy, the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behavior [11].

The topic of prolonged relationship abuse is important because being able to recognize why trauma victims are more likely to end up in abusive relationships could help put a stop to that cycle. Further research is needed to determine how different types of trauma, not just relational, correlate to adult relationship abuse. 

Through healing, individuals can rebuild their sense of self-worth and autonomy, essential skills for creating healthier relationships, and improved well-being. With therapy and understanding, victims can recognize the signs of relationship abuse and work to break those perpetuating cycles of harm. 

References

1. CDC. (2024, October 8). About adverse childhood experiences. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html
2. Nature Communications. (2022). Pathways adversity to mental illness. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35466-0#Fig1
3. Merrick, M. T. (2023). Vital signs: Estimated proportion of adult health problems… MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 68. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6844e1
4. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). A treatment improvement protocol – Trauma-Informed care in behavioral health services – Tip 57. Samhsa. https://www.samhsa.gov/resource/dbhis/tip-57-trauma-informed-care-behavioral-health-services
5. Perry, B., PH. D. (2021). The Impact of Developmental Experience . https://www.pacesconnection.com/g/Parenting-with-ACEs/blog/what-happened-to-you-by-bruce-perry-and-oprah-winfrey-a-book-that-resonates-with-us-in-the-paces-world
6. How does trauma affect the brain and body? (2023, September 15). Saprea. https://saprea.org/heal/trauma-body-brain/
7. Dementia Australia . (2023). How do our brains work? https://www.dementia.org.au/news/how-do-our-brains-work
8. CAMH. (n.d.). Recognizing the effects of abuse-related trauma. CAMH. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/recognizing-the-effects-of-abuse-related-trauma
9. Riggs, S. A. (2010). Childhood Emotional Abuse and the Attachment System Across the Life Cycle: What Theory and Research Tell Us. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19(1), 5–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926770903475968
10. Ph.D., R. T. M. (2016, January 8). Trauma survivors at risk for future abusive relationships. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-trauma/201601/trauma-survivors-at-risk-for-future-abusive-relationships
11. True U Counseling . (2023). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) In A Nutshell. https://trueucounseling.org/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt-in-a-nutshell-2/

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