Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)

 

Trauma refers to occurrences that are highly distressing and exceed one's ability to cope.

Types of trauma

Acute trauma refers to a single distressing event that threatens one's ability to cope, thereby affecting how an individual thinks, feels, or behaves, e.g., sudden loss of a loved one or a car accident.

Chronic trauma refers to a prolonged distressing event lasting for a significant amount of time, for instance, persistent domestic violence, bullying, or sexual abuse. Untreated acute trauma may progress to chronic trauma.

Complex trauma refers to exposure to multiple or recurrent traumatic events, for instance, sexual assault, domestic violence, and neglect. Traumatic experiences impact one's productivity at work and school and contribute to adverse health outcomes.

Vicarious trauma is prevalent among professionals exposed to traumatic events, such as police officers and paramedics. Such individuals are more likely to avoid investing emotionally in other people's distress, a symptom of compassion fatigue.

What are ACEs

Adverse childhood experiences (ACES) are extremely distressing events directly experienced or witnessed by children during their childhood. It includes both emotional and physical traumas such as sexual abuse and neglect by caregivers. Children who experience ACES are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health problems later in life. ACEs are treatable and manageable. Examples are teen pregnancies, substance abuse, PTSD, conduct, and opposition defiant disorders, and depression.  An ACEs score of more than four indicates severe childhood traumatic events but it's not all doom and gloomy it can be managed.

Examples of childhood traumas

Accidents

Death of parents

Sexual assault

Terrorism

Homelessness

Neglect

Domestic violence

Mentally ill caregivers

Substance abuse among caregivers

Effects of ACES in adulthood

Overindulgence in self-harm or impulsive behaviors

Emotional reactivity and outbursts

Hyper vigilance to situations which others may identify as non-threatening

Substance abuse

Aggressive behaviors

Inflated self-esteem

Decreased concentration or gaps in memories

Increased risk of health problems. Anda et al. found out that children who had a higher ACEs score were more prone to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Difficulty forming stable relationships based on trust issues, develops during early childhood interactions with the caregiver. Let’s look at the four types of attachments, avoidant, secure, ambivalent, and disordered.

A secure attachment style is formed when children have great caregivers with positive emotions, and this helps them explore the world without fear and experience feelings that the world is a safe place to be.

Avoidant-insecure attachment style develops early in childhood, mostly when the caregiver is not emotionally invested in the child or is absent in a child's life for most of the time. Children with this attachment style show no preference for caregivers over strangers and rarely seek comfort when distressed. As adults, they are less likely to invest their feelings and emotions or share how they feel when in a romantic relationship. Research shows that people with this attachment style are more likely to engage in casual hook ups which require no commitments.

Ambivalent-insecure. Children who have this attachment style during their childhood are more likely to experience consistent thoughts that their significant other does not love them. They often become very frustrated when they break up with their partner.

Disordered-insecure. Children with this attachment style often display apprehension and confusion towards the caregiver. Such children may show a mixture of resistance and avoidance towards their caregivers. A study by Main and Hesse revealed that caregivers who cause fear to their children and then offer reassurance might raise children with this kind of attachment.

Symptoms of PTSD

Avoidance symptoms entail avoiding places, people, or things that evoke memories of the traumatic event. Also, survivors may try to avoid details of that particular event. A study by Richard and Gross found out that trauma victims are more likely to suppress emotions and memories related to the traumatic event (2000). Psychosocial interventions become difficult as salient details regarding the traumatic event are hidden in the subconscious mind. Trauma survivors also tend to suppress their emotions to numb their psychological pain, which downplays their physical health leading to somatization disorders such as migraines.

Intrusive thoughts and memories include disturbing dreams, flashbacks, and nightmares.

Hyper arousal is characterized by disturbances in sleeping patterns, emotional reactivity, and emotional outbursts.

Trauma re-enactment during plays with peers.

You are not alone; there is help, there is hope.

1.      Parents can alleviate the aftermaths of ACEs by validating their children's feelings and reassuring them.

2.      Mindfulness meditation (Check my post on mindfulness meditation to learn more).

3.      Journal your emotions. Expressive writing can help one confront their past traumatic experiences and share their deep-sited painful emotions and in the process of sharing healing is acquired. 

4.      Therapy