Health Connections Special: ACEs - Adverse Childhood Experiences

In this Health Connections Special, we explore the Adverse Childhood Experience Study, or ACE Study. The ACE Study found that the more adversity and trauma someone experienced as a child, the higher their risk of negative health outcomes as an adult—like diabetes, heart disease, or depression. We’ll look at why this correlation exists by seeing how stress and adversity affect brain development and genetics, and discuss what we can do in our communities to build resilience against the effects of trauma.

[UrbanomicInteriors]

Great video! I’m on a mission to understand the root of my health issues (mental and physical) and am learning so much, especially listening to audiobooks like “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel Van Der Kolk.
Although I have not been officially been assessed by a mental health professional, I would say that my cumulative Ace score is pretty high (over 5).

There are some things I think need to be looked into further with these studies - how does personality/attachment style play into the equation to exacerbate or even mask problems in youth.
For example, I was a gifted student and never had any significant behavioural issues in school before grade 10, due to my learned perfectionism, which was an unhealthy coping mechanism. I feared punishment and rejection and thrived off pleasing the teachers, therefore I excelled at school. I was a very obedient child. It was not until College that my coping mechanism of perfectionism lead to burnout and PTSD. Now I am potentially suffering from Lupus and have developed sudden onset of severe allergic reactions that have landed me in the hospital 2x in the past 8 weeks. In my research I am weaving a thread through my history to understand how initial adversity and my reactions to traumatic events, created a baseline that made me more susceptible to additional adversity. In my case my fight/fight/freeze response lead to collapse/submission, and became my MO for many years. I was bullied in grade school, middle school and high school. (I think being bullied is also an ACE) So although I appeared to excel on the outside from the point of view of my teachers, I was actually terrified and insecure on the inside.
And here I am now, determined to excavate myself from the many layers of pain that caused me to bury my authentic, happy, confident self. It’s a humbling, exhilarating journey and I’m grateful that my giftedness allows me to comprehend quickly and my curiosity and determination keep me looking for answers. I WILL solve these problems.

[leslielieberman]

Thank you for this important contribution

[davidtichborne]

I got 10/10 on the ace test I was also bullied and humiliated at school badly and I also scored very highly on the been bullied test and I also took the Holmes and rahe stressful life experiences test and scored highly on that test because as well as I suffered from abuse bullying and abandonment I also moved from house to house 7 times in my childhood and now 27 I've moved 15 times I've also lost many jobs all my grandparents are dead my mom and dad are really struggling with there health I've lost many jobs things like that

[davidtichborne]

My mom had diabetes and other health issues like that and she still smokes over 30 ciggerets a day my dad also smokes still and so does my stepfather I've never smoked

[jennifermccormick]

I scored 10/10 on ace test how can we get help. Noone understands me where I live. I'm to much for them. I desperately need help. This is no way to live. I'm in such a dark place and have been for some time. Now I sit in a room away for everyone. Forgotten. And so sad and lost. Please God help me. I want to get better more than ever.