Inhibitions are the mental brakes that prevent people from showing their true feelings or thoughts. Sometimes they are a conscious form of self-control, like 'biting your lip' when it seems risky to say something. Often, they are unconscious, only showing up as patterns of behaviour or habits of speaking.
It's well-known that traumatic experiences in childhood increase the likelihood of depression and other mental health problems in adult life.
However, an investigation suggests that there could well be an upside to these childhood experiences as well.
People who reported that they'd experienced the death of a close family member or parental separation before the age of 17 showed increased levels of empathy, a greater ability to see things from alternative perspectives and had a better understanding of other people's emotional states.