Childhood trauma doesn’t have to be a lifelong curse

By Rochelle Sharpe

For The New York Times

Not far from the scenic San Diego coastline, a local internist discovered an unsettling truth nearly 30 years ago: Childhood trauma could lead to lifelong health damage.

Abuse victims often felt devastated when they learned about the landmark research, known as the 1998 adverse childhood experience (ACE) study, which showed that childhood trauma could significantly increase risks of cancer, heart disease, stroke, alcoholism and suicide.

But research now points to ways of mitigating these long-term effects and has led to a framework that is being adopted by educators, health care workers and social service providers around the world.

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