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In order to stop being triggered by painful memories, we need to recognize that our stories about events change as we age and learn. Fortunately, our brains mature and add new features that make us see things in a different light. When we’re 4, we may believe in Santa Clause, but this is unlikely at 14 because we understand and know more about life. If you’re older than 25 and still buy into an interpretation of harsh events you formed as a child, it’s time to update your story to better sync with reality.
Our interpretation of events at any age drives our actions adaptively to survive. Childhood interpretations are simplistic, naïve, and lack complex, critical thinking. Because our frame of reference is narrow due to circumscribed life exposure, especially before we enter school, we often know little more of the world than our family’s dynamics—we generalize and conclude that if Mom does X, all Moms or women or people do X. We rely on our emotions to interpret and direct our lives as mental templates get laid down automatically early on based on affect rather than rationality.
Adult interpretations of events come from expanded brainpower, increased cognitive skills, and greater experience. As our world enlarges, we see different ways of looking at what happens to us. We can compare and contrast to see that everyone’s inner and outer world is not like ours. Our experience, imagination and knowledgebase provide assessments of events that we never could have dreamed of as children.
Here are examples of meanings that children and adults may make of events. Notice the gulf between interpretations.
for embarrassing her in front of all the other children’s mothers.
tells you to leave you alone and won’t listen to you even when something is important.
you were an average-weight child. She said no one would love a fat kid or adult.
Humans are hard-wired to try to make sense of the world. However, we can’t move beyond trauma, abuse or neglect if we don’t give new, mature, enlightened meanings to events of childhood. In truth, parents who hurt us badly were misguided and ignorant at best and mentally ill at worst due to experiences that made them unable to love us as well as we deserved. We didn’t know that then, but now, fortunately, we do.
Best,
Karen
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