There is no surprise when someone finds out that childhood trauma often causes mental and emotional issues well into adulthood. The connection appears obvious. But what about childhood trauma’s connection to physical illness? In particular, do adverse childhood events (ACEs) increase the risk of chronic and deadly diseases later in life? The short answer is yes. In this post, we’ll explore how this plays out.
Understanding this connection improves our chances of helping today’s adults who endured trauma in the past. It also drives home the importance of protecting children now. After all, this ugly cycle begins when kids are abused, neglected, or harmed in other ways.
ACEs and PTSD
The numbers are heartbreaking. At least 6 out of every 10 American children will experience at least one adverse childhood event. About 17 percent of them will experience four or more ACEs — with girls the most at risk. Common examples of ACEs include:
Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse
Neglect or abandonment
Death of a loved one
Trafficking
Illness, injury, or disability
Domestic violence and/or substance abuse in the home
Witnessing violent and abusive acts
Events like this cause crucial changes in a child’s young brain. They become hyper-vigilant and remain in a state of high alert — usually unable to discern between a real and imagined danger. Such children get stuck in the fight-or-flight response and may end up with a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
In a developing mind, these events can have dire, long-term consequences. If this kind of trauma is not addressed, processed, and resolved, it is carried into adulthood. It continues to shape their life and personality and also, puts them at high risk of physical illnesses.
ACEs, PTSD, and Chronic Illness
Living in the shadow of childhood trauma can cause a person to not take proper care of themselves. The idea of “self-care” is simply not in their awareness. Meanwhile, the chronic presence of stress hormones due to PTSD and hyper-vigilance creates myriad imbalances in one’s body. One example is chronic inflammation. Here are just some of the many physical illnesses that can be traced back to ACEs:
Asthma
Diabetes
Heart disease
Cancer
Stroke
Lung disease
Liver disease
Autoimmune diseases
A tendency toward drug or alcohol abuse
When a trauma survivor is diagnosed and treated for any of these dangerous diseases, they are frequently not able to be compliant with medications, appointments, etc. This just adds to the ongoing cycle. As the illnesses progress, the treatment accelerates and it may trigger a potential next step to all of this.
Chronic Illness and Medically-Induced PTSD
As if all of this was not enough, there is sometimes another level to the cycle. When suffering from a life-threatening disease, individuals are thrust into the day-to-day stress of non-stop medical care. This process has been shown to cause something called Medically-Induced PTSD.
So, not only did they suffer childhood trauma. Not only did that trauma cause PTSD. Not only did that trauma also contribute to the development of chronic illnesses. Now, the aggressive treatment of these illnesses can add yet another form of PTSD into the mix.
Getting Help, Stopping This Cycle
Right here and right now, the adult suffering the complex fallout of childhood trauma needs and deserves effective treatment. And make no mistake, such treatments exist. At the same time, this insidious cycle must be addressed at its root. Our children must be better protected from the factors that create trauma in the first place. This will require a group effort.
If you or someone you know is anywhere at any point in this cycle, I want to help. Let’s connect and talk at your earliest convenience for trauma therapy. Read Trauma and PTSD Treatment, if you’d like to know more.