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

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.

Check out the timestamp below:
00:00 Intro
00:10 The ACE Study
05:53 So how does trauma increase the risk of disease?
08:01 Brain Changes and Stress Regulation
09:02 Treatment
10:17 Can it be prevented?

Check out the transcript by clicking the link below:

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.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

[EricB]

You're like our warm internet mom. Thanks for posting, we miss you ❤️

[beautifultrauma]

I once read somewhere, "living my life was like serving a life sentence for a crime i didnt commit". I felt that wholeheartedly.
I scored between 6 and 7 on ACEs.
Life is such a struggle. Daily. My adult son is struggling with addiction and poor mental health. Now he is serving a sentence for a crime he didn't commit either. Sending love, hugs and strength to everyone ❤

[nicholasdupont]

I had several ACES as a child. Now I can go to sleep easily, but wake up in the middle of the night in a semi panic state. Takes me an hour or two to reset and go back to sleep. Literally watching this in the middle of the night.

[katfayegarrett]

I do wish doctors would address disordered eating as a trauma symptom, not a character flaw, obesity, anorexia, orthorexia.

[Crystalriverblue]

Add the aspect that a child who grows up in traumatic households may internalize and develop a poor self image. This child not properly cared for grows up to be an adult who may not care for and love themselves. This adult may not then take the steps of proper nutrition, exercise or even preventive medical care. They see themselves as not worth it. It's a tragedy which just compounds on layer after layer.

[SP-mlbs]

I grew up in a violent household and was told that it was for my good that I was beaten all the time (spare the rod, spoil the child, corporal punishment, etc.) My dad also yelled at us all the time and I was scared of him. My mom always pretended that everything was fine and she buried herself in work and so I had no safe adults in my home. Thankfully I found safety in school and felt that my teachers cared for me more than my parents. If it weren't for school to give me an escape from my home, I probably would have ended my life. I was the rare kid who looked forward to school starting back up again in the Fall.

[nanaman]

As a cycle breaker.
I have raised kind, caring and loving children.
💚

[josephbelisle]

Those stats on abuse are way under reported. It ignores traumatic amnesia. And denial of what really happnend. There are many affects of trauma that cause victims to not recognize what happened to them. I couldnt remember most of the abuses until my 30s. I didnt recognize I have CPTSD until my 50s. Only in the past several years did I recover memories of what was done to me. There are literally billions out there repressing these memories just to survive.

I can remember being in the womb. I can remember being born. I remember so much of my infancy. I can tell you that I knew, being only months old, that I existed in an unsafe world. I was shown my father was a lethal danger. He proved it on several occaisions. My mother showed me she was not someone I could get help from. All my elder siblings were abused as well and took out their anger, fear and rage on me. I had no one to help me. No one to console me. Just more danger on a daily basis. Danger to my body, my mind and my emotions. I live in existential terror. I cannot make relationships. I have been alone my entire life. I thought this was normal. I score 7 but i had many abusers throughout my life and no one to support me.
This has to end. No one should have to live like this. No one should have to endure what i have and continue to have to endure. I have had several years of truama therapy and have made great steides in recovery but I still suffer greatly and still cannot make connections. No one has a right to raise their children in trauma, abuse and neglect. We, as a society, condone too much abuse in the name of parental rights.

[margaretsmith]

Working on healing from my own childhood trauma in hopes to help my daughter heal as well. It ends with us! Thank you for these very insightful videos ❤

[bananaslugdragon]

My ACEs score is 10/10. I have been in therapy for the last 10 years. I have had so many health issues and a couple of near death emergencies. I have found healing and so many places: being a parent, having deceased parents, psych meds, yearly physicals, and learning about breaking cycles and epigenetics.

[megzin]

It hits real hard to see how high the numbers are of people with childhood trauma ...

[stevec]

35 seconds in. I have lived this for over 70 years! Early childhood trauma, with the resulting negative mindset, makes success at...anything...extremely difficult or impossible. Once success is seen at the horizon, the subconscious mind recoils at it, seeing it as going against imprinted default programs. One of my own examples: I would join a gym, start to see good results...and stop going. I never knew why; did not even give it a second (conscious) thought. Understanding the paradigm, medication and talk therapy have helped. I still struggle with this. How sad.

[stepheniemann]

Nature and nurture, my dad committed suicide and my mom is narcissistic- I clearly see why I have emotional and health issues. People should be so grateful who have a good loving family.

[stephaniefitzpatrick]

I hope this information can comfort people and encourage them to keep on trying. It seemed more directed to the general public than those who have experienced it, so it might get a mixed reaction.

To people affected by ACE's it can be disheartening to hear about these things. It's not hopeless though, it just takes a lot of time for your brain to learn and adjust. Give yourself some grace if you experience long term illnesses and difficulties from it. Keep on trying to make your experiences better. Persist with self empathy ✌️

[tanyas]

I agree with everything she is saying. It definitely resonates with me. I’m obese, I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I was told by psychologist that my health issues are probably from childhood emotional abuse/neglect. I have done EMDR and it had help tremendously

[Pixdust]

My therapist says my OCD is rooted in childhood trauma. I have to control everything in adulthood because I had no control over anything in my childhood. I didn't always feel safe, I experienced neglect and an alcoholic parent so I never knew what was going to happen. Every time my mother left my dad (3x before she finally divorced) I felt like I had to start over after we moved. My obsessions revolve around safety. My compulsion is "checking". Being late to work everyday because I have to check that everything is unplugged so there's no fire, check my doors are locked 5x, check my stove and dryer is off 5x, impulsive thoughts, rumination on trauma, turning my car around to check the garage is closed, and religious compulsions due to traumatic experiences growing up in the church. The worst thing about OCD is knowing it's irrational, but not being able to talk yourself down.

[Brittwhales]

I am breaking the cycle so my children do t have to lives with childhood trauma like I did, and I am serious about maintaining my mental health as well as a safe atmosphere for my kids. ❤ And I’m taking you up on the free grounding skills course!

[KyloRen_]

I have an ACES score of 7. I continue to learn as much as I can and am also now a certified ACES trainer. Part of my job includes training early childhood teachers on ACES and trauma. This has been enormously helpful
In my own healing journey, being able to educate others about the impact of trauma. Thank you for sharing this information - the way you explained how trauma impacts brain function was very accessible and straight forward.

[aushiaalive]

As a trauma-informed practicing therapist, this is the best summary of adverse affects from childhood affecting anyone who has experienced. So grateful for your videos and how they are informative and easy to understand, especially with the neuroscience backing. Thank you!

[Bluecollarrvrubbernomads]

I'm 46 and so tired of living in fight/flight mode. Trauma started at 4. It's tiring.