Explore the heartbreaking reality of childhood trauma and its long-term effects on neglected children. This video delves into the psychological and emotional impact of neglect, as well as pathways to healing and recovery. Learn how to recognize the signs and support those affected by childhood trauma.
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00:00Children who experience physical, cognitive, or emotional neglect,
00:04say because their mother was sick and their father was busy,
00:08often face anxiety.
00:10As a result, their body produces stress hormones.
00:13If this happens a lot,
00:15these hormones become toxic for their developing brain,
00:18which then later can repress emotional and cognitive well-being for life.
00:25The real story of Daniel Rukarianu,
00:28who spent part of his early childhood in a Romanian orphanage,
00:31shows the full impact neglect can have.
00:40The story began in 1966,
00:42when Romania's then leader, Nicolae Ceaușescu,
00:46wanted to make his country a world powerhouse
00:49and came up with laws to increase the country's population.
00:52Abortion and contraception were declared mostly illegal.
00:56While the law led to a rapid rise in birth rates,
00:59many of the poorer families were unable to take care of all their children,
01:04and Daniel and around half a million others
01:06were sent to state-run institutions.
01:11In most orphanages, there were no toys,
01:14no books, or anything else to stimulate cognitive development.
01:18Many kids just stared at the bare ceilings,
01:21waiting for their next meal.
01:23Due to the lack of human contact,
01:25some babies developed strategies for self-stimulation,
01:28such as rocking back and forth.
01:33The cognitive neglect often led to lower IQ scores,
01:37delayed language development, and a lack of creative thinking.
01:41This happens because our brains build connections
01:44with every new experience and stimulation.
01:47If there are no rich experiences during the first years of life,
01:51the period in which the brain develops the fastest,
01:54children cannot build the foundations necessary for optimal future learning.
01:59They miss out for life.
02:03Daniel lived with over 400 other children,
02:07and their shared bedrooms were hardly ever cleaned.
02:10The meals were mostly tiny portions of boiled cabbage,
02:13which the staff would sometimes steal to eat themselves.
02:17Some supervisors used violence to control the orphans.
02:21Others encouraged the older kids to beat Daniel,
02:24to humiliate him and exercise authority.
02:29The consequences of physical neglect and lack of basic nutrients
02:33caused most orphans to suffer from stunted growth.
02:36Some children contracted HIV and hepatitis B
02:40as a result of the reusing of medical supplies.
02:43The physical abuse caused severe bruising and other injuries.
02:50The overworked and undertrained staff
02:52hardly ever soothed the crying children.
02:55In fact, they barely spent any time with Daniel at all.
02:59Some children were left completely alone with their worries.
03:02Others hid their feelings from the very people who ought to protect them,
03:06since they feared being hurt.
03:10Emotional neglect and anxiety lead to an excessive production
03:14of the stress hormones known as adrenaline and cortisol,
03:18which is like poison for the developing brain.
03:21But the experience also distorted the children's understanding
03:24of love and human relationships.
03:27They learned to trust nobody,
03:29and as adults, often suffered from depression, insomnia and social anxiety.
03:37When Ceausescu's regime was eventually overthrown
03:40and the conditions inside the orphanage were shown on television,
03:43researchers from around the world came to examine the nameless children.
03:48MRI scans later showed that some had smaller volumes of brain mass.
03:53The resulting research made a strong case
03:55that not only is nutrition vital to a child's development,
03:59but so is human contact.
04:01To help the children, a large number were adopted into foreign families.
04:08But even after being adopted,
04:10many had problems forming loving bonds to their new parents.
04:14This aligns with the attachment theory
04:16and the notion that a child needs to establish a loving relationship
04:20with at least one primary caregiver early in life.
04:24Daniel was quite lucky with his family.
04:27While he continued to experience trauma and anxiety,
04:30he went on to have a university education,
04:33started a family of his own,
04:35and later he founded a non-profit organization for neglected children.
04:42If you grew up in a loving environment,
04:45count yourself really, really lucky.
04:48If you experienced forms of neglect,
04:50try to internalize the idea that it was never your fault,
04:54and maybe not even your parents' fault either.
04:57To read what we think can be done if you have ever experienced neglect,
05:02read the descriptions below.
05:04One way is to share your thoughts about neglect
05:07and how you think it affects you today.
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