How Childhood Trauma Affects the Brain and Body - The ACES Study

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Nov 18, 2024

Childhood trauma is alarmingly common, impacting over half of the population and leading to serious health issues in adulthood. The groundbreaking discovery linking adverse experiences to chronic diseases reveals a vital need for trauma-informed care. Preventing these experiences through community support and resilience-building is critical. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences and the importance of addressing trauma for healing and growth.

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INSIGHT

Impact of Childhood Trauma

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study revealed that childhood trauma is widespread and has lasting negative health impacts.
ACEs include abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, correlating with chronic diseases, mental health issues, substance abuse, and early death.

INSIGHT

Trauma's Impact on Stress Response

Chronic childhood stress dysregulates the HPA axis, impacting stress hormone release.
This can lead to hyperarousal (overactive stress response) or hypoarousal (underactive response), affecting physical and mental health.

ADVICE

Preventing Childhood Trauma

Prevent childhood trauma by supporting families and strengthening communities.
Help families access resources, volunteer at schools, connect with neighbors, or support community programs.

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Childhood trauma can have a direct, lasting impact on physical health, mental health, and ability to function in society. But we didn’t have any idea how much impact it had until the late 1990’s, when a curious doctor made a groundbreaking discovery. They found that a huge number of people have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (64%) and 17% or 1 in 6 children experience at least 4 ACES. And more specifically, 28% of women and 16% of men reported being sexually abused during their childhoods. And this study was done with mostly middle class white folk, but the rates are actually higher with other demographics.

So that was the first finding, childhood trauma is way too pervasive. And two- Dr. Felitti found that this trauma is directly correlated with a wide range of negative health outcomes in adulthood, including chronic diseases, mental health issues, substance abuse, and early death.

The ACE's quiz at NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean

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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

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