If you scored higher than expected, you are not alone!

Two out of three participants experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Event. One in eight had SIX or more. These high ACE scores can affect not just our health, but also how we react to our own family (and the world). Let’s first look at the health results.

What most surprised the team of researchers was that participants’ ACEs were linked to seven of the top ten causes of natural death in adults. These included heart disease, cancer, chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, migraines, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and memory loss. ACEs can also cause self-destructive behaviors like smoking that lead to poor health.

If you are a woman, every ACE point raises your chance of being hospitalized with an autoimmune disease, such as hyperthyroidism, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, or celiac disease, by 20%. For men, your risk increases by 10% for every ACE point.

ACEs score of 2 or higher
2x more likely to repeat a grade in school
5x more likely to have ADHD

ACEs score of 4 or higher
2x more likely to be diagnosed with cancer in your lifetime
2.5x more likely to experience chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
2.5x more likely to suffer liver disease

ACEs score of 6 or higher
4.5x more likely to suffer clinical depression
12x more likely to attempt suicide
20 years shorter life span

ACEs score of 7 or higher
3x more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer.

We highly recommend this TED talk by Nadine Burke Harris, whose work in her pediatric clinic in San Francisco is at the forefront of ACEs awareness.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa in Wrestling Ghosts
The health risks for Adverse Childhood Experiences are higher than smoking, alcohol, or exposure to chemical toxins and pollution.
— Donna Jackson Nakazawa