An adult, sitting in their therapist’s office, complaining about their childhood, has become a bit of a cliché over the years. Our society tends to tell people to “get over it” or “suck it up” instead of recognizing that there is a reason that childhood adversity is so difficult for people to overcome. At Cottonwood, in Tucson, Arizona, we understand that the painful experiences our patients had before they reached adulthood, can have a direct impact on their mental health. We also know that how those difficult events are handled going forward, can make it easier for them to heal and break generational cycles of trauma.
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were first studied by the Centers for Disease Control and the Kaiser-Permanente healthcare organization. This study and research that followed, found that:
- At least 62 percent of adults experienced at least one really challenging event in childhood.
- Having four or more ACEs (about 1 in 6 adults meet this criterion) increased the likelihood of a chain of poor outcomes later in life.
- High ACEs scores cause children to be continuously stressed, so that their brains and bodies are always on high alert, which is very unhealthy and leads to chemical issues in the body that create medical problems such as the constant creation of adrenaline and cortisol, which are stress hormones, high blood pressure, weakened heart and circulatory system, and high glucose levels.
- Five or more of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with ACEs and a high ACEs score has been linked to premature death.
- There are ways to prevent and counter the impact of ACEs.
ACEs and Mental Health Disorders
People who have higher ACEs scores have been found to be at higher risk for several undesirable mental health outcomes. These include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Substance use disorders
- Suicide attempts
Additionally, several symptoms, not specifically tied to one disorder were correlated to high ACEs scores. Some of these included:
- Psychosis
- Coping challenges
- Aggression
- Difficulty with emotional regulation
- High levels of emotional distress
- Sleep disturbances
- Self-esteem issues
Several chronic health conditions, that can contribute to mental illness, have also been linked to high ACEs scores.
Examples of ACES
ACEs are potentially traumatic experiences that often happen before a person reaches the age of 18. This is an especially vulnerable time for a person to experience trauma, as they have not had the chance to develop their coping skills, they cannot protect themselves and they may not really understand what is happening to them or why. Some examples of ACEs include:
- Abuse – mental, physical or sexual
- Violence – in the home or the community
- Separation from a caregiver – due to divorce, death, placement in foster care, incarceration, etc.
- Living with a parent who is a substance user or struggles with mental illness
- Living in poverty
- Bigotry – racism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc.
If you are curious about your own ACEs score, you can take the quiz online for free.
The Difference Between ACEs and Trauma
Two people can go through the same challenging experience but have completely different reactions to it. For one person, the event might be painfully life-altering, while the other person just finds it mildly upsetting. The strengths that a person, their family, or community have in place, to help them navigate adverse events, so they aren’t experienced as trauma are called protective factors.
Some examples of protective factors include:
- A resilient mindset
- A safe, stable, nurturing family
- Positive friendships
- Academic success for children
- Having basic needs met such as food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare
- Parents with college degrees and steady employment
- Strong support networks for the entire family, including therapeutic interventions for potentially traumatic experiences
- Caregivers who resolve conflict peacefully
At Cottonwood, we recognize that getting a rough start in life can place a person at risk for more difficulties in adulthood. We are here to offer support to our clients and their families, as they seek to heal and mitigate the impact of painful experiences from their past. Our services are trauma-informed, meaning that they are delivered in a way that minimizes the risk of triggering our patients or their loved ones or adding to their trauma.
