I wanted to talk to you about ACE studies and how your ACE score can impact your health. So what is ACE and how does your knowledge about your own ACE scores impact your overall health?
ACE Defined
ACE stands for: Adverse Childhood Experiences which are categorized as potentially traumatic events that happen in childhood. The CDC stated that one in six people had experienced four or more types of ACEs and taking preventive steps to stop ACEs from happening could decrease the likelihood of depression when children become adults.
Examples of ACEs include: physical abuse, neglect, household challenges, parent seperation, mental illness, divorce, substance abuse, and other trauma.
If you know you experienced ACE in your upbringing, know that there are steps and tools you can use in order to support you in where you are right now in your journey. It is important to understand that our childhood experiences determine how we perceive the world and navigate relationships deeming what is and is not safe. Your ACE score may leave you feeling vulnerable, like you can not trust others, and you may also struggle with mental and physical illness if you were never able to heal your childhood traumas.
Preventing ACE can help you potentially
Can stop ACEs from being passed on
When you choose to grieve and process your ACE score and recognize it for what it is, you are choosing to heal generational trauma and stop ACEs from being passed on to the next generation.
Improving your education and employment opportunity
When ACEs are prevented, you create room to be more present in the education you receive, strive for more challenging goals, and thus have more opportunities for employment.
Lower your risk for mental and physical health challenges in adulthood
When you heal and process your trauma, you set your body and mind up for a stranger foundation so you are less likely to face things like depression, asthma, and diabetes.
When we can help kids prevent early trauma, we increase their chance for improved health and opportunity in adulthood. Remember that children are like sponges and work in an “all or nothing” system. We must do our part to protect them from adversity when we can.
Your ACE score has an impact on your health whether you are conscious of it or not. So now that you know what ACE is and how it is currently playing out in your life, what are some ways you can support yourself?
Some ways you can support yourself on your healing journey
- Work with a practitioner
- Join a supportive community that is aligned with your healing
- Take steps to physically support your nervous system
- Know that you are not alone in your healing
What next?
If you identify with having adverse childhood experiences and you know that it is playing out in your adult life in a way that you do not like, signup for a CLARITY CALL with me to find out the best ways I can support you and get you to where you want to be in your healing.
As always, thank you for saving room for me in your inbox and I look forward to connecting with you further. If you don’t already, follow me on Instagram where I share posts about all things psychology, self-care, and neuroscience.
