Learn how to recognize and heal from Adverse Childhood Experiences at any age.
by Dr. Rachel Gilgoff, MD
Experiences – both positive and negative – change our biology. When we experience trauma during our early years, the repeated activation of our stress response can lead to long-term adaptations in many body systems, including neurologic, endocrine, immune, metabolic, and epigenetic. Over time, our stress response biology puts an extra load on our mental, relational, and physical health. This can show up in a number of ways, such as:
- Trouble feeling safe in a relationship, difficulty getting close, or attachment issues
- Anxiety, depression, rumination
- Trouble sleeping
- Frequent infections or autoimmune disease
- Changes in weight, sugar metabolism, and risk for diabetes
- Chronic pain
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or chronic heartburn
- School or work avoidance
Adversity in childhood is more common than we might think. Numerous studies tell us two-thirds of us have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) before the age of 18. ACEs include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, and household challenges such as living with a caregiver who has a mental illness, misuses substances, has been incarcerated, experiences intimate partner violence, or divorce.
What is just as striking is the fact that childhood trauma can dramatically impact our mental, relational, and physical health at any age, and ACEs have been associated with increased risk for 9 out of 10 of the leading causes of death in adulthood in the United States including heart disease, chronic lung disease, suicide, and cancer.
The good news is there are ways to heal at any age. StressWell, GetzWell Personalized Medicine stress management service, can help children and adults learn to cope, heal, and thrive! Using the Stress Phenotyping Framework, Dr. Gilgoff assesses the underlying root physiology to provide an individualized, tailored approach to healing nervous, endocrine, immune, and metabolic system dysregulation. Dr. Gilgoff uses integrative medicine approaches, neurofeedback, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy. In addition to our internal resources, GetzWell Personalized Medicine works with a wide network of partners to create a multidisciplinary team approach to healing. For more information on StressWell and how to overcome adverse childhood experiences, or to make an appointment with Dr. Gilgoff at one of our San Francisco, CA, offices, contact GetzWell today.