What are ACEs?
Ace stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences and it is an inventory created to identify traumatic experiences you have endured in your developing years. The measure assesses for instances of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse as well as domestic violence and other experiences of homelife instability when you are under the age of 18. A score of 1-3 on the ACE inventory can mean that you have an increased risk for later health and mental health challenges. A score of 4 or higher significantly increases that risk. The ACE events were initially identified in research conducted by Vincent Felitti, Robert Anda, and their colleagues in 1995-1997. This research has been growing and similar findings have been replicated in numerous studies since then.
How do ACEs Impact You in the Workplace?
ACES can lead to negative long-term impacts on your sense of self, others, and the world. The more ACES you have been through, the more likely you are to experience reactivity under stressful conditions that are greater than the situation calls for. At work, this may look like self-doubt, difficulties establishing connections with colleagues, challenges with boundaries, fear of confrontation, perfectionism, discomfort around authority figures, imposter syndrome, and more.
ACES can impact the tone of your nervous system. ACES don’t tend to resolve on their own but there are protective factors that can reduce the impact of these experiences on your health outcomes. An example of a protective factor includes having healthy relationships throughout your lifespan. Built-up stress and trauma can worsen or lead to an episode of anxiety, depression, PTSD, CPTSD, OCD, worsened ADHD symptoms, specific phobias, social anxiety, burnout, and more!
Recover from your ACEs Today with the Support of Calgary Psychologists
Recovery from your ACEs is possible and choosing to heal from these experiences can be a beneficial preventative mental health care strategy. We’ve made it our mission at Choice Point to help folks learn more about the impact of chronic stress and trauma on their mental health and well-being. Talking through your stress and trauma will not be sufficient to get relief. We specialize in helping you to get out of survival mode so that you can begin to release. We also teach and practice strategies in session to improve your mind-body connection and enhance future resiliency.
We can help those seeking preventative work to improve overall well-being or individuals seeking to significantly reduce and potentially recover from more acute mental health conditions (depending on the condition). You don’t have to suffer in silence. We are a team of dedicated mental health professionals who specialize in and have lived experience overcoming past painful experiences. Your free consultation awaits. Send us a message today. We are here to answer any questions you may have on how we can help!
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