Your childhood trauma may not look like what most people imagine, but the impact is just as real and profound. Some high-achieving professionals experienced obvious abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction, the kinds of experiences measured by the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) survey that research has linked to lifelong health and mental health challenges. Others carry what therapists call "invisible wounds"—emotional unavailability, perfectionist expectations, or the subtle message that your worth depended on your performance.

The ACE study revealed that childhood experiences of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction are far more common than previously understood, affecting 67% of the population. For many high-achievers, these experiences created successful adults who struggle with inner peace, authentic relationships, and genuine self-worth. Whether your childhood included physical or sexual abuse, emotional neglect, witnessing domestic violence, or growing up with addiction or mental illness in the home, these experiences literally shaped your developing brain and nervous system.

Perhaps you were the "responsible one," the family caretaker, or the child who learned that emotions were inconvenient or dangerous. Maybe you experienced parentification, where you took care of others' needs while your own went unmet. Or perhaps you endured more obvious forms of harm... physical abuse that taught you the world wasn't safe, sexual abuse that violated your boundaries and trust, or emotional abuse that convinced you that you weren't worthy of love. These experiences, whether subtle or severe, taught you to be hypervigilant, self-reliant, and emotionally guarded—traits that served you well professionally but now sabotage your ability to truly connect, receive care, or feel genuinely worthy of love.