How adverse experiences in childhood affect adult health
If you had adverse experiences during your childhood, the horse has left the barn, right? You just do the best you can, given your circumstances. What other choice do you have?
The world is slowly waking up to the far-reaching impact of childhood trauma. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study established that ACEs have a direct connection to illnesses such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, and depression. But med students still aren’t taught to look for or address ACEs. That may soon change, thanks to passionate advocates like pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, who founded the Center for Youth Wellness, a nonprofit in San Francisco whose mission is to prevent, screen for, and heal the effects of toxic stress in children. Her Ted Talk below is well worth 16 minutes your time.
While it’s true that there are no do-overs, it is possible to release the physical hold that childhood trauma has on your body. TRE enables you to slowly pull anchor, get oriented to the present, and set sail for a brighter future.
Family TRE
One by one, DJ and Lyle Fuller adopted seven children who’d experienced trauma. An adopted child herself, DJ welcomed each of them and devoted herself to their healing. “I can’t tell them it’s going to be OK if I can’t find a way to make it OK for myself,” DJ says. And the way she does that for her entire family is through TRE.
This eight-minute video shows TRE as it’s meant to be: incorporated into everyday life at home. THIS is why we love it.