There have been follow -up studies to the ACE studies and many of the results were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Eighteen states have done their own ACE surveys, and their results are similar to the CDC’s ACE Study. Two thirds of the 17,000 people in the first ACE Study had an ACE score of at least one, and 87% of those had a score of more than one. And in case you think that the ACE Study was another study involving inner-city poor people of color, it was not. The study’s participants were 17,000 mostly white, middle and upper-middle class college-educated people with good jobs and great health care.
Over the past 20 years, rapid advances in neurobiology have revealed how childhood trauma directly affects the developing brain. These experiences modify the neurological, endocrine and immune systems. They activate stress hormones, initiate inflammatory processes, and change immune function, each of these are associated with developing chronic diseases in adults.
Researchers believe that we can create opportunities for young people to address the concerns identified by their ACE scores much earlier in their lives, and maybe, in doing so, it is possible to reverse the damage that is done to our brains and bodies from the overload of cortisol and adrenaline caused by stress. We all have the ability to be part of building resilience for a child and to use practices that will better identify and deal with childhood trauma before the effects become irreversible.
We need trauma-informed communities where everyone understands how to recognize warning signs they see in themselves or others, or even better, where people respond by asking information seeking questions in all cases, even if the warning signs are not there.
In the future,our nation should focus more on ensuring the healthy development of infants, children and families. In the interest of improving our country’s social and economic well-being and global competitiveness, it would be one of the best investments we can make. .
Carolyn has been providing therapy
for clients for 30+ years and although she has worked with all kinds of clients
in all kinds of environments, her passion continues to be providing services
for clients who have dealt with sexual abuse issues and trauma. She currently
provides all types of therapeutic support for victims of sexual abuse assault
rape and incest. Serving Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Miami area
Carolyn Wilson, M.S.W.,
L.C.S.W.
Personal
Solutions 954-793-3201
Helping you To Find Your Personal Solutions
