The Body Keeps the Score - remember to check your ACEs score
It is appreciated that not everyone has the time, capacity or the willingness to learn about important topics such as ACEs.
So, I would like to recommend a book from my Master’s in DV and CSA course at Goldsmiths University London - it’s called, ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk (2015).
For all those who demand to see evidence of childhood abuse, I would like to share with you, my recent experience of visiting A&E.
While a consultant was examining my feet, he explained that he was surprised that I could still walk. He went on to say that my toes had been broken. I looked at him surprised. Then he explained that my toes had historical breaks from childhood. Due to not receiving medical intervention when I was a little girl, my toes never properly healed. I have a lot more similar stories like this which I could share about other damaged parts of my body which serve as a reminder of what I went through as a child.
I share this story to illustrate that your body and my body always keeps the score.
It is important to note that adverse childhood experiences (ACES) can lead to serious health issues later on in life, including premature death.
The higher your ACE score (4+) the higher your chance of suffering from psychological and medical problems like chronic depression, cancer, or coronary heart disease. The higher the score, the more likelihood of developing chronic pulmonary lung disease increases by 390%; hepatitis, 240%; depression, 460%; and attempted suicide, 1,220%.
Please remember, children don’t ask to be abused.
Kindness costs nothing.
Please take the time to do the ACEs test below and remember be kind to yourself and others. Trauma never sleeps. However, validating these experiences can help a person, city and nation heal. Open up the P.I.I’s.