Finding Your ACE Score

While you where growing up, during your first 18 years of life:

1. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often...
Swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you?
or
Act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?
2. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often...
Push, grab, slap, or throw something at you?
or
Ever hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?
3. Did an adult or person at least 5 years older than you ever...
Touch or fondle you or have you touch their body in a sexual way?
or
Attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you?
4. Did you often or very often feel that ...
No one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special?
or
Your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close to each other, or support each other?
5. Did you often or very often feel that ...
You didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, and had no one to protect you?
or
Your parents were too drunk or high to take care of you or take you to the doctor if you needed it?
6. Were your parents ever separated or divorced?
7. Was your mother or stepmother:
Often or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at her?
or
Sometimes, often, or very often kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, or hit with something hard?
or
Ever repeatedly hit at least a few minutes or threatened with a gun or knife?
8. Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic or who used street drugs?
9. Was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide?
10. Did a household member go to prison?


Score:


As a reminder, ACE stands for ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. The ACE Study included only 10 childhood traumas because those were mentioned as most common. However, there are many other types of childhood trauma, i.e. watching a sibling being abused, losing a caregiver (grandparent, parent, etc.), homelessness, surviving and recovering from a severe accident, witnessing a father being abused by a mother, witnessing a grandmother abusing a father, violence toward pets, etc. Regarding your personal score, each type of trauma counts as one, no matter how many times it occurs. The ACE Study (10 questions) uncovers a stunning link between childhood trauma and the chronic diseases people develop as adults, as well as social and emotional problems. This includes heart disease, lung cancer, diabetes and many autoimmune diseases, as well as depression, violence, addiction, being a victim of violence, and suicide. ACEs are common. In the United States, 60% of adults had experienced at least one traumatic event in their childhood and 25% had experienced at least 3 ACEs. ACEs don’t occur alone. If you have one, there’s an 87% chance that you have two or more. If your score is '0', you are one of the lucky few. If your score is only one, and truly only one, that one event may still be adversely affecting you, even though you are not aware of the connection between that event and the result that you are experiencing as an adult. The more ACEs you have, the greater the risk for chronic disease and pain, liver disease, stroke, diabetes, mental illness, misuse of prescription medication, witnessing violence and being a victim of violence. ACEs are responsible for a big chunk of workplace absenteeism, and for costs in health care, emergency response, mental health and criminal justice. Childhood adversity contributes to most of our major chronic health, mental health, economic health and social health issues.

What should you do now?


If the ACE test has shone a light into your past, that is a great thing! If you are sensing that your life could be improved if you could overcome the events of the past but don't know how, that is where I come in. I am very skilled in this area and can help you find release and healing. My greatest passion is to see people get free and discover their best life. I would love to speak with you and discuss your score. I know this is sensitive subject matter, but it's the essence of life. Even just talking about the events of the past can help empower you. Beyond talking, I am determined to give you practical tools to overcome and move forward with newfound joy and hope.

If you want to set up a phone meeting, an on-line video meeting, or a live meeting, please click the button below. I look forward to meeting with you.
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