Healing From Tough Childhood Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are events in a child’s life that cause trauma or make them feel unsafe, and that can have long-term impacts on their health, opportunity and wellbeing. ACEs are common, with approximately 64% of adults in the U.S. experiencing at least one type before age 18.
In the home, some of the most common types of ACEs include emotional, physical and sexual abuse; violence; substance use issues; mental health problems; emotional or physical neglect; divorce or separation of parents; and having a household member attempt or die by suicide.
Other childhood experiences also can cause trauma, such as housing and food insecurity, witnessing violence in the community, being bullied and being the target of discrimination. While having ACEs doesn't guarantee a child will have physical or mental health problems in adulthood, it does increase their risk.
Children growing up with toxic stress may have difficulty forming healthy and stable relationships. They may also have unstable work histories as adults and struggle with finances, jobs and depression throughout life. This is because ACES can negatively affect their brain development, immune and stress-response systems, attention, decision-making and learning.
ACES are also linked to many health conditions and leading causes of death, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and suicide. In fact, an estimated 1.9 million heart disease cases and 21 million depression cases could potentially be avoided by preventing ACES.
The encouraging news is there are ways for adults to help support their child who has experienced ACEs and prevent future harm:
Find a counselor:
A professional can help your child process their experiences and develop coping skills.Create a safe, stable home:
Establish routines to make the environment predictable and less stressful; be a consistent, reliable presence; show affection and care through actions and words; and manage your reactions to stress to set a healthy example.Encourage trusted relationships:
Support your child's connections with other trusted adults, such as grandparents, teachers, coaches or family friends.Promote personal boundaries and consent:
Teach children they have control over their own bodies and they should not allow anyone to touch them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.Seek help when needed:
Create a support network of people who can assist in times of need and get connected with local resources for housing, food and parenting support.Address your own ACEs:
You can break the cycle of trauma and create a healthier environment for your child by seeing a counselor, getting treatment for depression or other mental health conditions, and getting help with substance use.
Remember, parents who take care of themselves are better able to take good care of their children. ACEs and their associated harms are preventable. Creating and sustaining safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children and families can help everyone reach their full health and life potential.
For more information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on how to prevent ACEs, please click here.
Pacific Federal is a Zenith American company and subsidiary of Harbour Benefit Holdings, Inc.
