How Rough Was Your Childhood, Really? *Quiz*?
Disclaimer: This quiz is made for entertainment purposes. So please don’t take it too seriously.
Did you feel that there was a time in your childhood where you’ve experienced something that no child had to go through?
Time may pass, but the memories you’ve accumulated stay with you through adolescence and adulthood.
Maybe you’ve grown up with feelings of paranoia, shame, and anxiety to this day? Was there a time in your childhood, you’ve been denied a healthy relationship with love and empathy?
If you want to know how rough you’re childhood really was, take the quiz below.
Grab a paper, a pen, and note down your answers. If your answer is “rarely, sometimes, always” – that would be a yes. If your answer is “NEVER”, then pick no.
Answer these questions from the point of view of the most vulnerable times of your childhood.
Let’s start.
1) Did your parents ever humiliate and swear at you?
Yes
No
2) Were you ever slapped or grabbed as a child? Hit with an object?
Yes
No
3) Were you ever touched inappropriately as a child?
Yes
No
4) Were your parents unsupportive and distant?
Yes
No
5) Have you ever skipped hygiene or food due to parental neglect?
Yes
No
6) Has a parent ever abandoned you or left you?
Yes
No
7) Did you ever witness your parent getting hit, beaten, slapped by the other parent?
Yes
No
8) Did you live in a household that abused drugs and alcohol?
Yes
No
9) Did you live with someone who struggled with mental illness?
Yes
No
10) Did your parent(s) go to prison during your childhood?
Yes
No
Results:
That’s all the questions.
Nothing related to you?
Keep in mind, everyone’s situation is unique. Did your family move, ruining your secure friendships? Did you face discrimination or poverty? Did someone important pass during that time? Ask yourself if you’ve encountered any hardship that you shouldn’t have had to go through as a child. Remember, healing from these traumatic experiences is always possible with the right nudge.
If you didn’t have any that related to you, great. You may have had a healthy, happy, secure childhood.
Did 1 or more of those questions resonate with you?
Your childhood may have had some rough patches. At least two-thirds of the adult population has experienced one adverse childhood experience. Many adults are lucky to go through it without it affecting their lives to a drastic point.
However, some of these traumatic experiences continue to affect the life opportunities of many people—impacting their school or job performance. You may have experienced some mental health issues or coping mechanisms that you still carry along to this day as well.
Let’s dive deep and answer the questions you’ve related to first-hand.
Abuse
Did the 1st, 2nd, and or 3rd question resonate with you?
If you’ve said yes to being hit, touched inappropriately, or distant—you may have experienced abuse in your childhood. According to a paper by the Child Community Family Australia, childhood abuse can be debilitating and lifelong for some, even developing health problems, like depression and anxiety, while others outgrow and handle the abuse and turn into functioning adults.
If you’re grown around and have been tormented by forms of abuse until adulthood, understand it takes time to heal. Don’t hide your emotions behind a wall. Try to get to the root of your emotions and reflect on why you act out a certain way.
Neglect
Did questions 4 or 5 resonate with you?
You may have experienced neglect emotionally or physically as a child. You may grow up to have a difficult time talking and relating to others. You may also grow up to be riddled with anxiety and feel easily overwhelmed and discouraged. You also may feel particularly sensitive to rejection and have a feeling that something’s “missing”.
The recovering process would require a lot of self-reflection and external guidance. As you grow older, identify your needs (because you do deserve the things you need), and make goals to meet them. You deserve your needs to be met, regardless of what your past self has taught you and instilled in you to this day.
Household dysfunction
Did questions 6 to 10 resonate with you?
If yes, your childhood was rough. A report of a Cambridge University study reveals that children who’ve been subject to forms of household dysfunction risk experiencing forms of childhood maltreatment. These negative effects can worsen and develop later depression, anxiety, worsening life satisfaction well into adulthood.
If you find yourself still chained to your past self’s feelings, know that you have the power now to live your own life. Don’t isolate yourself or bury your emotions, be patient with yourself. Express your hurt to someone who’s safe and cares about your well-being, like a therapist, or close friend.
Disclaimer:
Know that no one has the same story, and anyone can rise through adversity despite their past. It may be hard to believe right now, but you can too, Psych2Goer.
References:
Fraser, L. (July 25 2019) ACES Adverse Childhood Experiences Score. Retrieved at https://thriveglobal.com/stories/aces-adverse-childhood-experiences-score/
Child Community Family Australia. Retrieved at https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/effects-child-abuse-and-neglect-adult-survivors
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 6 2021. Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences. Retrieved at https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Facestudy%2Ffastfact.html
CDC. March 15, 2021. Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect. Retrieved at https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/fastfact.html
Summers, D. (Feb 18, 2016). How to Recognize and Overcome Childhood Emotional Neglect. Retrieved at https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/how-to-recognize-overcome-childhood-emotional-neglect-0218165
Clemens V, Berthold O, Witt A, et al. Child maltreatment is mediating long-term consequences of household dysfunction in a population-representative sample. European Psychiatry. 2019;58:10-18. doi:10.1016/j.eurpsy.2019.01.018
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