Adverse childhood experiences, also known as ACEs, are adverse (negative and impactful) experiences that occur during formative childhood years. These include single traumatic events and ongoing traumatic experiences like abuse.
This article will help you understand what are adverse childhood experiences, their impact on physical and mental health development, and what recovering from childhood trauma looks like.
What Are ACEs?
Each adverse experience a child goes through counts as one trauma. The more trauma someone experiences before 18 years old, the more likely they are to experience adverse adulthood experiences, including substance use disorders and mental health disorders.
Common ACEs include:
Physical abuse Verbal abuse Sexual abuse Physical neglect Emotional neglect Having a parent who has alcohol use disorder Having a parent who’s a victim of domestic violence Having a family member who is incarcerated Having a family member diagnosed with a mental health illness Experiencing divorce of parents
You can tally your ACEs up to see your overall risk of associated future health consequences.
ACEs and Toxic Stress
ACEs are said to create toxic stress for children during the developmental years. Toxic stress is unhealthy stress because it excessively activates the stress response system. This is said to have a “wear-and-tear” effect on the person’s body and brain.
Health Consequences of ACEs
The health consequences of ACEs are associated with prolonged stress. Prolonged stress changes the developing brain and how it learns to cope with stress.
Physical Health
Physical health conditions associated with ACEs include:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Asthma Kidney disease Stroke Heart disease Cancer Diabetes Obesity Substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder and cigarette smoking
ACEs are associated with at least five of the leading causes of death, including suicide and overdose.
Mental Health
Mental well-being is said to decline as the number of ACEs goes up. The following are all associated with ACEs.
Behavioral and emotional dysregulation Depressive disorder and anxiety disorders Personality disorders Psychotic disorders Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Recovering From Adverse Childhood Experiences
Research has found that play and creative expression (which can be done through different forms of art) can be helpful for people trying to process trauma and recover from ACEs. A 2021 study suggested that play creates the space for self-expression, self-care, and healing from childhood trauma.
Therapies that use a “trauma-informed approach” are targeted toward understanding how trauma, adversity, and toxic stress can affect child development. It is possible for ACEs to be prevented, reduced (in terms of impact on the future), and recovered from with this approach. A trauma-informed approach avoids retraumatization (reliving stressful feelings from an earlier trauma) and empowers the person to change their negative coping strategies to healthier behaviors.
Summary
Adverse childhood experiences are experiences that create toxic stress, leading to poorer or negative outcomes in adulthood. ACEs are associated with poorer health outcomes later in life including increased risk of substance use disorder, heart disease, and obesity, as well as mental health challenges.
A Word From Verywell
ACEs help us understand how certain past events that occur during formative years can change the way we cope with stress and how this impacts our future. ACEs are not certainties, though. Many people with ACEs also experience positive life events that help reduce stress levels and show them how to cope with stress in healthy ways. If you need more support, a licensed therapist can help.
Over 60% of Black children (non-Hispanic)Over 50% of Hispanic children40% of White children (non-Hispanic)23% of Asian children (non-Hispanic)
Some adults (around 16%) have experienced four or more ACEs, with this being particularly true for women and several racial and ethnic groups who are at greater risk.
