How childhood experiences shape both mental and physical health in the long run.
While exploring different materials on trauma and its effects, I came across an interview with a somatic therapist who mentioned the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study. Curious, I dug deeper, and what I found was both shocking and crucial—yet surprisingly, not common knowledge. This information needs to be widely shared because it affects so many lives!
Most people who have learned about mental health or gone through therapy understand that trauma can lead to emotional struggles. For example, someone with depression might trace it back to growing up with an alcoholic parent who was often angry and unpredictable. But what’s truly eye-opening is that childhood trauma doesn’t just affect mental health—it can also lead to chronic physical illnesses like migraines, heart disease, and autoimmune conditions.
What Does the ACE Study Say?
The original ACE study was conducted in the 1990s in the U.S., and since then, many studies worldwide have confirmed and expanded its findings.
What counts as an ACE? Adverse Childhood Experiences include a wide range of difficult or traumatic situations, such as:
- Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
- Neglect
- Losing a family member to suicide
- Parents separating or divorcing
- Growing up with a caregiver who struggled with addiction or mental illness
- Bullying at school
Key Findings from the Study
- ACEs are extremely common. Two-thirds of study participants had experienced at least one ACE, and 25% had gone through three or more.
- The more ACEs a person experiences, the higher their risk of serious health problems.
Research shows that people who had four or more ACEs as children have a significantly higher chance of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, respiratory diseases, liver disease, obesity, and depression. Another study found that ACEs can also increase the risk of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.*
A Different Perspective
This research offers a deeper understanding of how our early experiences shape our long-term health. It’s interesting to consider how addressing trauma might not only impact mental well-being but also influence physical health in ways we don’t always expect.
In my opinion, it makes sense to focus on the root cause rather than just managing symptoms. If childhood trauma plays such a major role in long-term health, then addressing it directly might be a more effective way to improve both mental and physical well-being. There’s still so much to learn in this area, and it raises important questions about how past experiences connect to present health challenges.
* - Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9863315/