Bettering the Human Condition

Assessment Tool: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE-10)

​

Many children experience abuse and neglect when growing up. These experiences can have a lasting impact on a person’s health and well-being. Therefore, it’s essential to consider how their upbringing can affect them throughout their lifespan. 

​

Our tool allows this data to be entered electronically and automatically assesses the score to give the suggested actions based on the standard form created for this purpose. 

​

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Children can experience physical and emotional health issues from abuse or neglect. In addition, they can experience these same issues from growing up in a dysfunctional household. These are Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACE’s. 

​

ACEs are traumatic experiences that happen before the age of 18 but last through adulthood. They can cause lasting mental and physical issues.

​

How Adverse Childhood Experiences Negatively Affect Adults

The 10 ACEs can impact your health in adulthood, creating physical and emotional challenges. 

​

Sometimes stress can be toxic, resulting in prolonged activation of the body’s stress response. Staying in this fight-or-flight mode can lead to long-term physical and mental health issues.

​

Adults who don’t properly cope with ACEs are at greater risk for chronic health problems like diabetes and heart disease. They are also at an increased risk for depression, anxiety, and impaired memory.

​

Toxic stress can lead to difficulty regulating emotions, including experiencing joy. It also can leave a person unable to understand how to respond to situations. There is also an increased likelihood that they will use substances, including alcohol, drugs, and nicotine.

​

Consequences of Adverse Childhood Experiences

There are many consequences of ACEs for adults. In addition to increased risk for mental and physical issues, some other effects are common.

​

False Self

Wounds from childhood trauma often result in the creation of a false self. For example, a child may alter their personality to try to get their parents’ love. To become their authentic self as an adult, they must get in touch with their true feelings.

​

Victimhood Thinking

A victimized child may feel they have no choice but to be a victim in their adult life. It’s not true. You have a choice in who you are as an adult. So instead, think of yourself as a survivor and use positive self-talk to combat negative thinking.

​

Passive-Aggressiveness

Children who grow up around unhealthy expressions of anger may feel they should never express anger. Anger is a healthy emotion. If you don’t express it, you will stay angry. You must acknowledge anger so you can resolve its trigger. If you don’t acknowledge anger, you will express these feelings as passive-aggressiveness.

​

Passivity

Neglected or abandoned children tend to hold themselves back. As a result, they end up passive, which does not allow them to live up to their potential. Adults need feelings to guide them toward becoming who they want to be.

​