A 16-year-old who grew up experiencing adversity in childhood said this to Brian Martin several years ago, and he included her story in his book, Invincible: The 10 Lies You Learn Growing Up With Domestic Violence and the Truths to Set You Free.
Thinking about this statement raises an interesting question. Why do so few who experience adversity in childhood believe the same thing that this young woman believes? It is a question that intrigues us both and has brought us to this conclusion: The primary barrier is that most don't connect the adversity they grew up with, to the challenges they face today.
What does it mean to face adversity in childhood?
For the past 15 years, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D. has been studying the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adult health as she described in her book, Treating the Lifetime Health Effects of Childhood Victimization, 2nd Ed. ACEs describe a wide range of adversities faced in childhood including: childhood physical, sexual and emotional abuse; neglect, both physical such as growing up without basic physical needs, such as clean clothes or having enough food to eat, and emotional neglect, such as a lack of love or emotional support; parental mental illness, growing up around alcohol and drug abuse, incarceration of a parent, divorce, and childhood domestic violence. Have you experienced any of these?
[For more of this story, written by Brian F. Martin, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...sity-_b_6497364.html]
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