ACES
What does the acronym ACEs stand for?
Adverse
Childhood
Experiences
What structural brain differences or limited abilities can occur in adults who were maltreated as children?
Answer:
Adults who were maltreated as children have reduced learning and memory capabilities
Young children naturally reach out for interaction through facial expressions, and gestures, and adults respond with the same kind of interacting. This back-and-forth process is fundamental to the wiring of the brain, especially in the earliest years.
True or false
Answer: True
What does the acronym PTSD stand for?
Answer: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.
Slavery and ACEs are not connected. The trauma of slavery ended with the freeing of slaves
True or False
Answer: False
The epigenetic changes triggered by the trauma of slavery may increase the risks of health problems for future generations of past slaves
Please define ACEs. What is an ACE? Not examples.
Adverse Childhood Experiences are
Traumatic events that occur during childhood. Usually between the ages 0-17
Which one of these chronic experiences is not toxic to a developing brain?
a. Poverty
b. Repeated abuse or neglect
c. An incarcerated parent
d. Living in a low income housing
Answer:
d. Living in a low income housing
ACEs can alter brain development by altering the brain's structure, function,and stress response
True or False
Answer:
True
These experiences can lead to changes in brain areas responsible for emotion regulation, learning, and memory, potentially affecting behavior and mental health.
ACEs can potentially reduce a person's life expectancy by ____________ years.
Answer: 20 years
Name 4 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Answer:
Abuse (physical, emotional, verbal, sexual)
Neglect
Household Dysfunction (mental illness, divorce, substance, incarceration)
Community violence
Racism
Witnessing domestic violence
68% of Michigan adults have experienced at least one ACE, What are the 3 most common types of household dysfunction?
A. Substance abuse, physical violence, mental illness
B. Incarceration, physical violence, parental divorce
C. Substance use, parental divorce, mental illness
D. Physical violence, substance use, incarceration
Answer: C
Substance use (30%)
Parental divorce (31%)
Mental illness (21%)
What are the three stress responses?
Positive: Brief elevation in heart rate. Once the event passes, the stress response turns off and the body goes back to its normal state.
Tolerable: Serious, temporary stress responses buffered by a supportive caregiver and relationships.
Toxic: Prolonged activation of stress response systems in the absence of supportive relationships
A great deal of brain architecture is shaped during the first ____years after birth, but the window of opportunity for its development does not close at this age
Answer: 3 years old
A great deal of brain architecture is shaped during the first 3 years after birth, but the window of opportunity for its development does not close at this age
Beyond mental health, ACEs may contribute to physiological changes like inflammation that can pave the way for _________ conditions like _________ and
____________
Answer:
Chronic (health) conditions like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease
If you are out of touch with your ________ or so stressed that you can only pay attention to a limited number of emotions, you won’t be able to understand your own needs.
Answer: your feelings
If you are out of touch with your feelings or so stressed that you can only pay attention to a limited number of emotions, you won’t be able to understand your own needs.
Experiencing many ACEs without supportive adults can cause___________________
Answer: Toxic Stress
Name 3 ways that toxic stress can impact individuals
Answer:
A. Brain development
B. Physical Health
C. Mental Health
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can reduce gray matter in the brain's prefrontal cortex and affect
_________________ and self-regulation
Answer:
Decision making
The State of Michigan reports that adults with 4+ ACEs were ______ more likely to report ever being diagnosed with depression
A. 52%
B. 41%
C. 66%
D. 30%
Answer:
41%
Resilience is the ability to ___________ adversity. Resilience can be developed and strengthened
Answer:
Bounce back from adversity/ Overcome adversity
What is intergenerational trauma?
a. Trauma that occurs or exists between one generation
b. The psychological and physiological impact of trauma that is passed down through generations.
c. Psychological trauma passed down from grandparents to grandchildren
Answer:
b. The psychological and physiological impact of trauma that is passed down through generations.
DAILY DOUBLE
What are 3 ways to reduce toxic stress?
Answer:
- Connecting with others Like dining as a family
- Support System
- Positive relationship
- Physical activity
-Mental health professionals
- Rest-sleep
What hormone is released during periods of high stress? High levels of this hormone results in chronic stress, making it hard for the brain to grow and learn.
Answer:
Cortisol
Toxic stress disrupts the development of brain structure and other organ systems, and it can even ______ the risk for stress-related disease well into the adult years. The_____ the experience in childhood, the ______ the effects will be in adulthood
Answer:
Toxic stress disrupts the development of brain structure and other organ systems, and it can even increase the risk for stress-related disease well into the adult years.
The worse the experience in childhood, the greater the effects will be in adulthood
Daily Double
Fill in the blank (the answer is one word)
____________ is a coping mechanism that gives you time to adjust to stressful situations however staying in _________ can interfere with your ability to tackle challenges and accept the truth about something happening in your life.
Denial
Denial is a coping mechanism that gives you time to adjust to stressful situations however staying in denial can interfere with your ability to tackle challenges and accept the truth about something happening in your life.