Trauma is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, an adverse childhood event (or experience) can come in many different variations. Known as ACEs, all of them involve enough stress to impact a child’s brain development. But the specifics can range from verbal humiliation to physical violence, from neglect to sexual abuse — and beyond.
Nearly half of American children have endured at least one ACE and this is enough to cause trauma. However, more than 10 percent of those children suffered three or more ACEs. This is complex trauma territory and can cause complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). Almost certainly, they’ll have a high ACEs score.
What Is a High ACES Score?
Simply put, the ACE test is a list of the 10 most common adverse childhood experiences. Each “yes” equals one point and even 2 or 3 points is enough to put you at risk for a lifetime of health problems — including C-PTSD. That said, this is not carved in stone. The ACE test is a useful guideline when helping those who present with signs of childhood trauma.
Does a High ACES Score Mean You Have C-PTSD?
The correlation is high but too many factors are involved to assign automatic causation. A childhood trauma survivor can grow into adulthood and struggle with an unhealthy lifestyle. They may also have genetic factors that play a big role.
In addition, your ACEs score doesn’t include the positive experiences that can help mitigate the effects of repetitive trauma. Having folks who look out for you as a child can have a long-term impact on a person and thus reduce one’s chance of a C-PTSD diagnosis.
Long story short: A high ACEs score is an invitation to get a further assessment to learn more. If a health condition is present, such assessment can help you get the treatment you need and deserve.
C-PTSD or Not, ACEs Must Be Addressed
As they happen, of course, ACEs command all your energy and focus. The last thing you’re thinking about is the long-term impact. Relentless, ongoing trauma keeps children in a state of perpetual stress response. This is not sustainable and often manifests in health concerns across that person’s lifetime.
People with a high ACEs score are at a greater risk of:
- Dropping out of school
- Low self-esteem
- Substance abuse
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Unhealthy behavioral choices
- Heart disease
- Suicidal ideation
- Premature death
If things must be put into purely financial terms, the collective cost of ACEs in the U.S. is $124 billion. For this post, we’ll narrow the focus to the potential and fallout of C-PTSD caused by ACEs.
How Do ACEs Increase the Risk of C-PTSD?
When a child is exposed to an environmental toxin, we know it can cause problems that can last a long time. Well, traumatic experiences can and often do affect children’s brains in an equally damaging way.
Childhood is the time when we experience rapid neurological development. Any glitches in this process can take a hefty toll. For example, in a period of extreme stress, a child is exposed to an overload of hormones. Stress hormones are designed as temporary solutions during danger. When they remain chronically present, the trauma is not processed and resolved. Also, other delicate chemical processes are interrupted.
All of the above puts a child at risk of C-PTSD which, in turn, can contribute to eventual fallout like:
- Poor career outcomes
- Co-morbid mental health disorders
- An inability to create and sustain healthy relationships
- Medical conditions for which there is no obvious cause
- Undiagnosed C-PTSD
All of this is to say that a high ACEs score does not immediately point to a specific result. However, it very much requires further exploration under the guidance of a trauma-informed therapist.