Childhood trauma is everybody’s problem to solve.
In the late 90’s a new study about childhood trauma rocked the medical and scientific community. Even though the original ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) consisted of mostly white, middle class participants, it found that a staggering 61% of adults reported at least one ACE (the original ten ranged from parental mental illness and loss to abuse and neglect), and 1 in 6 experienced FOUR OR MORE.
The cost of ACES is staggering to both the individual and as a society. ACES are linked to long term negative health outcomes, including heart disease, autoimmune disease, and cancer. According to the CDC, a tiny 10% reduction in ACES would save taxpayers 56 BILLION annually.
Every major medical association has a section on their website dedicated to ACEs. The CDC has an entire department dedicated to the study and prevention of ACEs.
Despite this, a recent survey by the National Institute of Health found that over 80% of physicians have never heard of ACES, and the funding for prevention and treatment nationally and on the state level is minimal.
Chances are very high that a majority of the people you know have encountered at least one form of childhood adversity. Some of them may have had extensive support in childhood and have been able to avoid any long term consequences. But many did not have the support needed, and are suffering with symptoms that hinder their personal and relationship development, impact their ability to work and learn, and eventually may pass on to their own children without any intervention.
So here’s how I am chipping away at the plague of childhood adversity as an individual:
My career is an obvious one, as I have dedicated my life to providing support, treatment, and education regarding childhood trauma to individuals and families.
I contact my elected representatives frequently and ask them to move forward any laws and initiatives that are aimed towards economic support to families, violence prevention, access to quality childcare, and improving mental health access.
I provide education on ACEs and their impacts to hospitals, pediatrician offices, law enforcement, schools, etc. The more individual and families can walk through a society aware of trauma and how to provide support, the more likely that family will pull away from adversity for themselves and for their children.
How will you fight childhood adversity? And if you’re struggling with how to parent a child with trauma, or how to parent with your own childhood trauma, I have a few sliding scale slots available and would love to help.
A last note: As I mentioned previously the original ACEs study only focused on individual traumas and surveyed mostly white middle class Americans. Since then, other researchers have been investigating the additions of discrimination, racism, and the legacies of genocide on Native peoples. We cannot provide adequate trauma support without recognizing the impacts of these societal atrocities and how we, as individuals with societal privilege (white, cis, male, etc), perpetuate harm. Read more Here