Oprah will be shining a spotlight on the astonishing lifelong health effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) this Sunday on 60 Minutes, and parents, teachers and doctors should all be paying attention.
?It?s important to let the public know how widespread the impact of adverse childhood experiences can be on physical and mental health outcomes. And that these experiences set trajectories early on that are very hard to change as people get older,? says Andrea Gonzalez, psychologist and assistant professor at Offord Centre for Child Studies.
So what are adverse childhood experiences"

ACEs fall under three categories: abuse, neglect, and family or household challenges. These stressful experiences may include: parental separation or divorce; living with caregivers who have mental illness or addictions; sexual abuse; verbal abuse; having an incarcerated caregiver; emotional neglect; and witnessing or experiencing domestic violence. And how do ACEs affect a child"

When kids grow up in a chaotic or stressful environment, or go through an exceptionally traumatic life event, this has a significant biological impact on their developing brain and stress-response system. Having chronically high levels of stress hormones?always being in fight, flight or freeze mode?rewires those areas of the brain tied to emotional regulation, memory and learning.
And as the traumatized child gets older, even into adulthood, emotional reactions to stressors can be disproportionate to...