Trauma and Brain Development
During traumatic experiences, a child’s brain is in heightened state of stress and fear-related hormones are activated. … Over time, these traumatic experiences can have a significant impact on a child’s future behavior, emotional development, mental and physical health.
Childhood trauma affects the way your neural pathways form or do not form.
Trauma can thus cause lasting changes in the areas of the brain that deal with stress, namely the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Studies on animals also found that trauma actually damaged neurons.
Not receiving the care and affection you required as a child also would see you experiencing the physiological effects of stress.