If you struggle with anxiety or depression but can’t understand why, have difficulty forming close relationships, or feel more emotionally sensitive than others, this may help explain what you’re experiencing.
What you might be dealing with is something called latent vulnerability – described by leading experts as the unseen link between childhood trauma and later mental health problems.
The word latent is significant. It means that your increased susceptibility to emotional difficulties remains hidden or dormant until the ongoing impact of unresolved trauma or stress affects your mental health later in life.
It’s similar to having an engine fault in your car that can’t be spotted by a quick inspection but will lead to a breakdown several hundred miles into your journey. The problem was always there, waiting to surface under the right conditions.
Latent vulnerability can manifest in various ways: an increased likelihood of developing mental health disorders like anxiety or depression, difficulties in emotional processing, challenges in forming healthy relationships, or feeling overwhelmed by stress that others seem to handle more easily.
This isn’t a character flaw or personal weakness. It’s an invisible wound from childhood that affects how your nervous system responds to stress and relationships as an adult.
Understanding this connection can be both validating and empowering. It helps explain patterns you might not have connected to your childhood experiences before. When you know that your struggles have roots in early experiences beyond your control, you can approach healing with more compassion for yourself.
You’re not broken or defective. You’re dealing with the long-term impact of experiences that shaped your developing brain and nervous system. With awareness and appropriate support, these patterns can be addressed and healed.
Continue your healing journey with Toxic by Jackie Poet a compassionate guide to understanding and overcoming the lasting effects of childhood trauma.
