At the time of this writing, as we rush headlong into the holidays, we find ourselves confronting the Omicron variant, the latest chapter in the global crisis saga that is COVID-19. After surviving two years of uncertainty, financial instability, loss of social connection, and re-entry into our personal and work lives, we are all in one way or another, finding ourselves digging deeper for the resilience necessary to cope.

Many adoptees report feeling symptoms of trauma as a result of being separated from their first mothers. Other adults who were adopted say they suffered no ill effects from the experience. The fact is, we all go through things in different ways, and what may be traumatic for one person, isn’t for another. If you’re wondering whether you should seek therapy for issues related to your adoption, it may help to understand what relinquishment trauma is, and why some adoptees seem to struggle with it while others don’t.