Child Abuse: Can Child Abuse Cause Someone To Live In Flight Mode As An Adult?

Although someone is a human being, based on how they typically behave, they could be described as a human doing. The reason for this is that they could practically always be on the go.

And, if they were to sit still for a short moment, they could soon end up feeling deeply irritated and end up doing something before long. Based on how they live their life, it will be as though they are being drip-fed an energy drink.

One outcome

As a result of this, they may have achieved a lot over the years and be seen as someone that is ‘successful’. They might even have their own business, which requires a lot of their time and attention.  

Or they could work for someone else and spend the rest of their time caught up in other activities. Either way, taking the time to relax and recharge is seldom if ever going to happen.

A Source of stress

But, if they feel deeply agitated when they don’t do anything, they are not going to feel called to take a step back. Being on the go and doing things is going to be far more appealing to them.

Naturally, it is likely to be difficult for them to fall asleep at night, and they might need to take something for this to take place. During this stage of the day, their mind could be racing around, with them thinking about all the things that they haven’t done and didn’t do right.

Surface level connections

When it comes to their relationships, they are unlikely to have a great deal of depth. In general, they could talk about what they have been doing and what they plan to do, with what is taking place for them at an emotional level not being mentioned.

Yet, if they are generally on the go and are focused on what is going on externally, they are unlikely to have a strong connection with their inner world. If, then, they were asked to talk about how they feel in this moment or in general, they could struggle to answer the question.

One Consequence

If they are at the beginning of their life, they might be able to behave in this way for quite some time. Then again, even if they are at this stage, they might not be able to behave in this way for very long.

What this comes down to is that living in this way will cause them to experience a lot of stress and, sooner or later, their body is likely to say enough’s, enough. This could result in them being taken out by a serious illness, for instance.

Stepping Back

Now, when someone behaves in this way, it will be as if they are trying to leave themselves. Therefore, they won’t be able to inhibit their body; they will be doing everything they can to get away from it.

Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that this is something that they will be consciously aware of as they are likely to be totally caught up in their need to be on the go. For them to find out why they are behaving in this way, it will be a good idea for them to be with themselves.

What’s going on?

So, if they were to become aware of how they are behaving and started to wonder what is going on, sitting down and seeing what happens will help them. If they were to do this, after experiencing a sense of irritation, they could end up feeling anxious.

What may then enter their mind is that being on the go is a way for them to not feel as though their life is under threat and experience a sense of control. They could soon wonder why they don’t feel safe enough to be in their body and just be.

Confusion

Now, if they are unable to understand why they are experiencing life in this way, it could show that their brain has blocked out the information that would shed light on what is going on. This will have taken place to allow them to function and keep it together, not to make their life difficult.

This may illustrate that their early years were anything but nurturing, with this being a time when they were mistreated by one or both of their parents. Ultimately, they wouldn’t have been brought up in an environment where they felt safe, secure and loved and able to inhabit their body.

A Brutal Time

Being on edge and ready to move - being in survival mode - would have been a way for them to handle a dysfunctional environment. And, as they were deprived of the nutrients that they needed to grow and develop in the right way, they are likely to be developmentally stunted.

Now that they are an adult, what took place will be over but a big part of them won’t realise this. This part of them will project their past onto the present, which is why they are going to feel as though their life is under threat.

It's over

Consequently, being on the go will be a way for them to get away from a threat that no longer exists. There is then how their conscious mind sees life and how their unconscious mind sees it.

Awareness

If someone can relate to this and they are ready to change their life, they may need to reach out for external support. This is something that can be provided with the assistance of a therapist or healer.

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk