The U.S. CDC defines Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) as potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). The ACEs have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance use problems in adulthood. ACEs can also negatively impact education, job opportunities, and earning potential.

If you have C-PTSD, there is a good chance you have a high ACE score. I have an ACE of 6.

This test to determine your ACE score is pretty simple. Answer the following questions and total up your the “yes” answers.

Prior to your 18th birthday:

  • Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often… Swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you? or Act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt? No___ Yes___
  • Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often… Push, grab, slap, or throw something at you? or Ever hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured? No___ Yes___
  • Did an adult or person at least 5 years older than you ever… Touch or fondle you or have you touch their body in a sexual way? or Attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you? No___ Yes___
  • Did you often or very often feel that … No one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special? or Your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close to each other, or support each other? No___ Yes___
  • Did you often or very often feel that … You didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, and had no one to protect you? or Your parents were too drunk or high to take care of you or take you to the doctor if you needed it? No___ Yes___
  • Were your parents ever separated or divorced? No___ Yes___
  • Was your mother or stepmother: Often or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at her? or Sometimes, often, or very often kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, or hit with something hard? or Ever repeatedly hit over at least a few minutes or threatened with a gun or knife? No___ Yes___
  • Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic, or who used street drugs? No___ Yes___
  • Was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide? No___ Yes___
  • Did a household member go to prison? No___ Yes___

The study on ACEs found ACEs are common across all populations. Almost two-thirds of study participants reported at least one ACE, and more than one in five reported three or more ACEs. As your ACE score increases, so does the risk of disease, social and emotional problems. With an ACE score of 4 or more, these issues greatly increase. The likelihood of chronic pulmonary lung disease increases 390 percent; hepatitis, 240 percent; depression 460 percent; attempted suicide, 1,220 percent.

I found this study to be a bit misleading in some aspects. Just because you have a high ACE score does not mean these diseases are something you will experience. What the study found was the higher your ACE score, the higher likelihood you will engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, drug or alcohol abuse. You may be more prone to miss work, have a lack of physical activity leading to obesity, engage in risky sexual behavior, have depression leading to suicide attempts. Some of these behaviors or conditions can increase the possibilities of STDs, diabetes, COPD, heart disease, or cancer.

With an ACE score of 6 – I often feel a bit doomed. But the good thing is, this isn’t the entire story. There are also several resiliency factors to consider that help offset the affects of ACE. Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) were studied in 2019 and found to have a mitigating affect. These are not a 1 to 1 to the ACE. The PCE do seem to affect people in different ways. Here are some of the PCEs:

  1. feel able to talk to your family about feelings
  2. feel your family stood by you during difficult times
  3. enjoy participating in community traditions
  4. feel a sense of belonging in high school
  5. feel supported by friends
  6. have at least two non-parent adults who took genuine interest in you
  7. feel safe and protected by an adult in your home

For me, I can answer yes to some of these. My faith also played a huge roll in sustaining me through the most difficult times in life. I was also lucky to have some significant adults who stepped in for me at the right times in life.

Maybe these PCEs are why I never smoked, abused drugs or alcohol, or engaged in risky behaviors. I have also stayed active through out my life. All of this has allowed me to miss most of the worst disease or conditions. However, I do struggle with depression. I have attempted suicide, but only as an adolescent. As an adult, I have mostly only had a passive suicidal ideation. During my first divorce, it was a near thing. My C-PTSD will often cause me to miss work or be late. I often cannot sleep or find myself unable to face the day.

I know toxic stress can bring on a host of health issues. I often will have severe chest pains which will drive me to the Emergency Room. I worry that the high stress will make me more prone to cancer. I know my body is constantly flooded with hormones as a result of my stress. I am not sure how this will end for me or how many years of my life are cut off because of all this. Yet, I am hopeful to be able to reverse some of this.