Toxic Childhood Stress

*Previously published as The Deepest Well* ‘Finally after thirty years, I finally understood . . . this book holds the answers you’ve been searching for.’ Kerry Hudson The Surgeon General of California reveals pioneering research on how childhood stress leads to lifelong health problems and what we can do to break the cycle. Perfect for fans of The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, this eye-opening book includes a free Adverse Childhood Experience test and looks at the widespread crisis of trauma and childhood adversity through the objective lens of science and medicine, providing a roadmap for deeper understanding and change. It is vital now more than ever, as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, that we find a way to address, understand and heal trauma. Two thirds of us have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, from the likes of bereavement and divorce to abuse and neglect. In Toxic Childhood Stress Dr Burke Harris reveals the science behind childhood adversity and offers a new way of understanding the adverse events that affect us throughout our lifetime. Based on her own groundbreaking clinical work and public leadership, Dr Burke Harris shows us how we can disrupt this cycle through interventions that help retrain the brain and body, foster resilience, and help children, families, and adults live healthier, happier lives. When a young boy walked into Dr Nadine Burke Harris's clinic he looked healthy for a preschooler. But he was seven, and hadn't grown a centimetre since a traumatic event when he was four. At that moment Dr Burke Harris knew that her gut feeling about a connection between childhood stress and future ill health was more than just a hunch – and she began her journey into groundbreaking research with stunning results.

A pioneering physician reveals how childhood stress leads to lifelong health problems, and what we can do to break the cycle.

A pioneering physician reveals how childhood stress leads to lifelong health problems and what we can do to break the cycle.Dr. Nadine Burke Harris was already known as an innovative, crusading physician delivering targeted care to vulnerable children. But it was her patient Diego - a boy who had stopped growing four years earlier after a sexual trauma - who galvanized her to dig deeper into the connections between toxic stress and the lifelong illnesses she was tracking among so many of her patients and their families. A survey of more than 17,000 adult patients' Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, like divorce, substance abuse, or neglect, had proved that the higher a person's ACE score the worse their health - and now led Burke Harris to an astonishing breakthrough. Childhood stress changes our neural systems and lasts a lifetime. Through storytelling that delivers both scientific insight and moving stories of personal impact, Burke Harris illuminates her journey of discovery, from innovative research labs nationwide to her own pediatric practice in San Francisco's poverty-ridden Bayview, Hunters Point. For anyone who has faced a difficult childhood, or who cares about the millions of children who do, the innovative and acclaimed health interventions outlined in The Deepest Well will represent vitally important hope for change.PRAISE FOR THE DEEPEST WELL"This ultra-smart and compassionate book delivers revelations about what is really going on-in our bodies, in our families, in our communities-as a result of childhood toxic stress, as well as targeted solutions for individual healing." Ashley JuddIn this powerful debut, the author describes the medical research and recalls her own frontline experiences as a pioneer in the treatment of toxic stress as CEO of San Francisco's Center for Youth Wellness, which offers multidisciplinary care for children suffering from trauma... In a winning conversational style... This important and compassionate book further sounds the alarm over childhood trauma-and what can be done to remedy its effects." Kirkus Reviews"The Deepest Well is a rousing wake-up call, challenging us to reimagine pressing questions of racial and social justice as matters of public health. The research and stories shared in this highly engaging, provocative book prove beyond a reasonable doubt that millions of lives depend on us finally coming to terms with the long-term consequences of childhood adversity and toxic stress." Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow

Practical skills for healing the hidden wounds of childhood trauma We’re all a product of our childhood, and if you’re like most people, you have experienced some form of childhood trauma. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are at the root of nearly all mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Memories associated with ACEs imprint on a child’s brain, and can manifest themselves mentally and physically throughout adulthood—even decades after the traumatic incident. So, how can you begin healing the deep wounds of ACEs and build strength and resilience? In this innovative workbook, trauma specialist Glenn Schiraldi presents practical, evidence-based skills to help you heal from ACEs. In addition to dealing with the symptoms, you’ll learn to address the root cause of your suffering, change the way your brain responds to stress and the outside world, and soothe troubling memories. Using the trauma-informed and resilience-building practices in this book, you will: Understand how toxic childhood stress is affecting your health Rewire disturbing imprints in your brain using cutting-edge skills Learn how to regulate stress and emotional arousal Discover why traditional psychological approaches might not be helping Know when and how to find the right kind of therapy Childhood trauma doesn’t have to define you for the rest of your life. With this book as your guide, you will be able to make fundamental changes and replace needless suffering with self-care, security, and contentment.

An examination of the link between Adverse Childhood Events (ACE's) and adult illnesses.

Fascinating patient stories and dynamic exercises help you connect to healing emotions, ease anxiety and depression, and discover your authentic self. Sara suffered a debilitating fear of asserting herself. Spencer experienced crippling social anxiety. Bonnie was shut down, disconnected from her feelings. These patients all came to psychotherapist Hilary Jacobs Hendel seeking treatment for depression, but in fact none of them were chemically depressed. Rather, Jacobs Hendel found that they’d all experienced traumas in their youth that caused them to put up emotional defenses that masqueraded as symptoms of depression. Jacobs Hendel led these patients and others toward lives newly capable of joy and fulfillment through an empathic and effective therapeutic approach that draws on the latest science about the healing power of our emotions. Whereas conventional therapy encourages patients to talk through past events that may trigger anxiety and depression, accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP), the method practiced by Jacobs Hendel and pioneered by Diana Fosha, PhD, teaches us to identify the defenses and inhibitory emotions (shame, guilt, and anxiety) that block core emotions (anger, sadness, fear, disgust, joy, excitement, and sexual excitement). Fully experiencing core emotions allows us to enter an openhearted state where we are calm, curious, connected, compassionate, confident, courageous, and clear. In It’s Not Always Depression, Jacobs Hendel shares a unique and pragmatic tool called the Change Triangle—a guide to carry you from a place of disconnection back to your true self. In these pages, she teaches lay readers and helping professionals alike • why all emotions—even the most painful—have value. • how to identify emotions and the defenses we put up against them. • how to get to the root of anxiety—the most common mental illness of our time. • how to have compassion for the child you were and the adult you are. Jacobs Hendel provides navigational tools, body and thought exercises, candid personal anecdotes, and profound insights gleaned from her patients’ remarkable breakthroughs. She shows us how to work the Change Triangle in our everyday lives and chart a deeply personal, powerful, and hopeful course to psychological well-being and emotional engagement.

A large number of adverse experiences (ie, toxic stressors) in childhood can trigger a toxic stress response.456 These range from the commonplace (eg, parental divorce) to the horrific (eg, the 6 year old "soldier" ordered to shoot and kill his mother7). Adversity can affect development in myriad ways, at different points in time, although early exposures that persist over time likely lead to more lasting impacts. Moreover, adversity can become biologically embedded, increasing the likelihood of long term change. Contextual factors are important.

This go-to guide for educators helping children who have experienced trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) provides accessible information paired with practical, adaptable strategies.