Friday, December 2, 2016

ACE Study

In therapy yesterday, we talked a lot about my past.  When I say my past, I don't necessarily mean my past of 2 years ago, I mean my young childhood.  I was confused at first why she was asking about my childhood, especially at the ages where I couldn't even remember anything. I finally decided to ask her where she was going with this discussion. Thats where the ACE Study came in...
The ACE study stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. This study is one of the largest scientific research studies of its kind.  The focus of this study is to "analyze the relationship between childhood trauma and the risk of physical and mental illness in adulthood." Over decades of this study, researchers were realizing the strong relationship between the level of traumatic stress in childhood and poor physical, mental and behavioral outcomes later in life.
My brother had cancer when he was younger. It was very hard on my family, and even harder on him. He is the strongest person I know, and he has always been my hero.  Now, he is cancer free, 17 years I believe (I could be off a year or two)! Amazing though, right?
Well my therapist began asking me how this effected me.  The good in me responds, oh I was fine, I didn't go through anything compared to what Alex went through.  But she digs deeper and wants me to tell her truthfully, how it effected me.  I was so young, I don't remember much. All I remember is how much I was shuffled around from babysitter to babysitter, hardly ever being able to be around my family.
"Ahhh.." she says. Having a family member who is ill and feeling emotional neglect is two of the huge conditions someone would experience in an Adverse Childhood Experience. Although I may not have felt the emotional neglect, especially that young, being passed around from babysitter to babysitter and being around my family very little is a potential subconscious emotional neglect.
Going through this at my age made me extremely independent.  I even potty-trained myself! Now, I am still extremely independent, but I hurt inside, a lot.  I hurt inside when I feel like I need to ask for help, when I do not get things done, or if I do not feel proud of yourself.  See how something that happened to me in my childhood has effected me so much today? Along with feelings I have, I also have depression. One of the things that is examined in ACE Study.

This article explains the ACE Study a lot... give it a read, it is very interesting
http://www.americasangel.org/research/adverse-childhood-experiences-ace-study/

2 comments:

  1. Being a Child Development major, I have looked at and studied multiple ACE studies and I agree with you that they are interesting and telling of a person's future. Even though you did not directly experience that trauma, it's important to understand how it actually effected you. It's great that you are talking about it and I wish you well on your journey.
    Also that's so amazing for your brother!

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