- Research demonstrates that when stress hormones flood a child’s body and brain, it can adversely affect the individual’s stress response for life
- High stress response over a period of time increases the risk of inflammation, chronic inflammation has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune disorders
- Over 1500 peer reviewed studies conducted since 1996 have linked childhood stress to adult illness and adverse health experiences
- Four categories of childhood adversity, the experience of which leads to higher diagnostic rates of cancer and depression
- When childhood trauma and adversity was acknowledged by healthcare professionals, medical interventions decreased
- Despite this, the medical community has not recognized or integrated this knowledge into treatment plans. There is a definitive need for awareness among healthcare professionals
This article first appeared in the Huffington Post. Donna Jackson Nakazawa is the author of Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology and How you Can Heal.