Healing your childhood wounds

Do you sometimes wonder why you react to certain situations the way you do? If and when you reflect upon your behavior, do you feel bewildered at the impulse or lack of reason? Was there an experience in your childhood/past that might have led to that 'instinctive' response? Is that triggered reaction having an negative effect on you or your interpersonal relationships?

For example, were you teased as a child for being plump? (This is especially common in girls.) The dip in self-esteem can carry onto adulthood, where you will always feel that you are never slim enough to be attractive, and you refuse to believe your loved ones when they tell you otherwise. 

Were you scolded as a child for not learning concepts fast enough? This can manifest as an innate need to always have to prove yourself, that you must understand everything right away. And if you can't, you beat yourself up mentally over it, and think you will never be smart enough.

How about single word triggers? If someone used a word or phrase in a hurtful context when you were young, do you notice yourself reacting badly whenever the same word or phrase is used, regardless of the situation?

It might be time to heal your childhood wounds. 

Only by recognizing and facing your past hurt and inner demons, can you learn to counter the irrational reactions, achieve peace of mind, and stop the triggers from affecting your quality of life. It is not an easy process though. It requires delving deep into your past to search potentially painful memories. It is likely that you might cry in the process. It may require forgiving someone who hurt you in the past. But believe me, if you go through this self-reflection process, you can leave behind your hurt and emotional baggage. Your quality of life will improve. You now have the power to stop your past from hurting your current relationships, whether with your parents, friends, or loved ones. You now have the power to simply react (or choose not to react) to the present as it is, without the shadow of the past.

Healing is not an overnight process. It takes time, but simply being aware of the triggers is a good first step. The second step is having the ability to mentally check yourself whenever you react instinctively. The third step is to move on from the hurt. One approach is to imagine meeting your wounded past self at the time of the event, and tell him/her that everything is OK now. You are safe now. You will not be hurt or judged the same way. Things are different now.
Every little step counts. So why not start today? Stop letting your past define the present.