If you took the mini ACE questionnaire and found you have a high ACE score, it is not the end of the world. You are not predetermined to have a difficult life or a premature death. However, you are aware that you have pressures in your life that are directly related to the abuse, neglect or dysfunction you grew up with.
The first step to overcoming is to realize that your adverse childhood experiences are not your fault. You were a child or an adolescent, and the neglect and abuse you experienced was committed by an adult. Don't blame yourself for what an adult did to you. If someone molested or abused you, it is their fault not yours. If someone committed suicide, it was their decision, you are not to blame. Stop and think about that for awhile. Are you willing to accept the fact that it was not your fault? Are you?
Hi, I just learned about ACE scores. My score is 5. I'm 59 years old, and I'm a college journalism professor. I earned a PhD, and I've been in college teaching 30 years. My siblings were not so fortunate. Both failed a year of high school, abused drugs, etc. So my message of hope is that a traumatic childhood need not foreshadow an unhealthy, unproductive adulthood.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouraging comment.
ReplyDelete