Mental health is just as important as physical health for our well-being. For example, depression can be just as crippling as a broken arm or leg. One of the ways your child’s mental health can be negatively affected is by ACEs. ACEs stands for "Adverse Childhood Experiences" and refer to experiences, environment, or events during childhood that are potentially traumatic. These can include:
- Physical, sexual, emotional abuse
- Neglect
- Household/domestic violence
- Parental separation
- Household members being in prison
- Community violence
- Mental health problems or substance abuse in caregivers
- Poverty
Experiencing many ACEs, especially without supportive adults present in their lives, can lead children to experience toxic stress. Toxic stress is the body and brain’s physical response to chronic stress and symptoms may include physical pain (headaches, stomach aches, body aches), nausea, increased heart rate and/or blood pressure, sleep disturbance. Excessive triggering of the body's stress-response system can lead to wearing down of the brain and body. This can make them more susceptible to both physical and mental health problems such as:
- Frequent colds
- Frequent stomach aches and problems digesting food
- Difficulty falling and/or staying asleep
- Worse symptoms of asthma, especially during times of stress
- Excessive anxiety when separating from a caregiver
- Defiant behavior and/or frequent tantrums
- Inappropriate clinginess or unexpected toileting accidents
- Being easily overwhelmed by even mildly stressful situations or environments
Toxic stress may also lead to longer lasting health consequences such as increased risk for substance abuse and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders, both as adolescents and adults. It can also interfere with your child’s future including their education, job opportunities, and ability to engage in healthy relationships.
The good news is that ACEs can be prevented and toxic stress treated if recognized! Treatment may include addressing associated mental health disorders, improvement of physical self-care such as nutrition, sleep, and exercise, connection to caring adults and healthy activities, and additional support for the family. If you have concerns that your child may be suffering from toxic stress, please speak to your child’s primary care provider about ways that you can help and get help. Just as getting prompt medical attention for physical illnesses and injuries results in better outcomes, not delaying help for your child suffering from toxic stress will lead to a healthier future for them.