Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's)The Lasting Effects of Early Trauma

There are times when we are working with a one-to-one yoga student who seems to be driven by underlying factors which are affecting them and their health. Of course we ask about their health history and current health to gather information in order to provide yoga to meet their needs. But these questions on health history may need to go further back than we (or they) imagine - into childhood.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are situations and experiences from childhood which affect health in childhood and are a risk factor for adult disease. An Adverse Childhood Experience is any of the following: any kind of abuse (physical, sexual or emotional), any kind of neglect, substance abuse in the household, mental illness in the household, the mother treated violently, criminal behaviour in the household (which may result in parent or caregiver being in prison), parental divorce or parental separation.

Data from a US study looking at ACE’s and conducted in a solidly middle-class city, found that over 60% of people have at least one ACE and one in eight people have four or more. That’s perhaps not surprising as separation or divorce is common as is mental illness but it’s a reminder that most people have at least one major ACE.

The body adapts to the stress of experiences through many responses. We are familiar with these as the range of stress responses, physically, psychologically and behaviourally. Some changes are far less visible occurring at a genetic level, turning certain genes on or off, particularly genes that regulate the response to stressful events in the future. This adjustment process is called epigenetic regulation (epigenetic means above the genome). This mechanism for dealing with early life toxic stress causes a dysregulated stress response which is damaging to lifelong health. A person with a high ACE score has a higher risk of ill health independent of any other behavioural factors, such as smoking, which would provide additional risk. In effect, the body remembers at the genetic level.

As more becomes known about ACE’s, strategies for specifically targeting and healing the dysregulated stress response are also becoming known. Sleep, mental health, healthy relationships, exercise, nutrition are major factors affecting change to the dysregulated stress response. There is one strategy in particular – meditation. Meditation decreases cortisol levels, enhances healthy sleep, improves immune function, and decreases inflammation – all critical parts of keeping our biological systems balanced and able to mitigate the effects of toxic stress.

Understanding how the brain and body are primed to respond helps people to understand the reason for and the affect of ACE’s. Identifying triggers and looking at underlying patterns helps people to face future challenges better prepared to manage stress responses. Coming to place where there is enough self-awareness and stability to use the subtle tool of meditation can take time. Finding the courage to look at the problem and then find the resources for self-care are not easy, but ultimately set the person back on the path to healing.