Adrenal Damage in Children Associated with Mental Trauma

For children who experience traumatic experiences during childhood, there are many psychological complications that may arise with development. In addition to psychological complications, children who experience trauma in early life may also develop unique physiological complications that lead to aggression and other health disorders. As a parent, if you are caring for a child that was exposed to any type of traumatic experience, it is important to understand how to manage those physical changes that may further impact psychological health.

Abnormal cortisol levels have been found in adults who experienced traumatic experiences as a child. Believing there is a negative impact to the adrenal glands, children who are exposed to traumatic experiences in childhood may grow into adults who experience adrenal syndromes. Among the many adrenal gland complications, high levels of cortisol can lead to obesity and other metabolic disorders.

In addition to metabolic disorders, the development of psychological complications may also be associated with high cortisol levels. In fact, many adults who live with psychological complications that involve aggression and high levels of anger have been fond to also have high levels of cortisol. This same cortisol level can be linked to adrenal gland complications that are rooted in early childhood traumatic experiences.

If, as a parent, you find that your child is beginning to show signs of aggression and other anger-related psychological complications, it is important to ask your child's psychiatrist about the health complication that may be associated with high levels of cortisol. With medical testing, you may be able to rule out, or confirm, a metabolic disorder or cortisol complication relatively easily. Once confirmed, medication and diet may be recommended to improve adrenal gland function. Ultimately, by improving adrenal gland function, your child's level of aggression and anger-related outbursts may decrease. In the long-term, this treatment may lead to a lower risk for development anger issues as an adult.

Traumatic experiences as a child lead to not only psychological complications in childhood but may also adversely affect your child's medical and psychological health into adulthood. By managing the adrenal function after a traumatic child experience, your child's long term health can be more effectively managed and even improved. With regular metabolic and adrenal gland testing, coupled with medications that promote both adrenal function as well as psychological health, you will begin to see an improvement in your child's aggression levels. While psychotherapy is also important, correcting abnormal cortisol levels will also be a key component to recovery.