I don’t generally comment about those who I feel have problems related to ACE’s. They are entitled to their privacy. But in this case, a mother in denial has placed what I believe are signs of childhood trauma onto the front page of news outlets world wide.
One problem with living in Alaska is constant exposure to our former Governor turned Vice Presidential candidate. She has polarized people in Alaska, and seems to have a very low approval rate here. But her family has been involved in so many dysfunctional behaviors that I can’t help but believe that ACE’s play a role in the behaviors of her children. The latest act was an arrest for Domestic Violence by her son. I know it made headlines all over the world (my daughter lives in Cairns, AU where it was on the front page of the digital edition of the Cairns Post). And now it appears that his mother believes it was President Obama’s fault. [New York Daily News Story Link here]
The article lists a host of behaviors that are present in high ACE individuals. He was abusing alcohol, and other sources reported a Blood Alcohol Level in excess of .18. He allegedly committed acts of domestic violence. He displayed a sustained level of anger that many high ACE individuals seem to do, as well as an elevated level of jealousy, according to the police report. And he spoke of suicide that night, according to his girlfriend.
But as an Alaskan, I am aware of his many other behaviors that are present in greater levels in high ACE individuals. He dropped out of high school. There are reports of alcohol and drug use at an early age. He has been married and divorced after fathering a child before the marriage. He has had a long reported list of girlfriends, including the alleged assault victim. He has allegedly committed other crimes, and was said to have joined the military to avoid criminal penalties (although such enlistments are prohibited by the military). He challenged his father to a fight during a drunken brawl in 2014, who was apparently the most seriously injured among the combatants. And according to reasoned discussion, The young man apparently did not see combat in Iraq, where he served for one year, from September, 2008 to September, 2009.
I want to say that I am distressed at the amount of press time spent on The young man. What is needed are facts that point to a possible exposure to childhood trauma and the extent of that exposure.
This Blogger posted a comment from a former resident raised in the same community, pointing out basically the same items I am. [LINK HERE] “…speaking from experience, domestic violence/parent abandonment/drugs/alcohol/prostitution/poor schooling/low income/out-of-wedlock birth/fetal alcohol syndrome/gun violence/mental illness/rape/prison time is everyday life in Alaska.” Data from our Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) says essentially the same thing. [LINK HERE]
This young man should be assessed for childhood trauma and treated. If he has PTSD, he is among a minority of returning Iraqi veterans. According to the VA, 10 to 18% of combat vets from Iraq showed signs of PTSD. The list of stressors is fairly lengthy and includes “lower level of schooling,” “family problems,” and “prior trauma exposure.” Longer deployment time and combat exposure were additional stressor. The young man did not have the latter, but did have the prior. And another byproduct of deployment are higher levels of depression. As I write this, some veterans groups have come against accusing President Obama of dereliction of duty regarding PTSD. However, other veterans who served with him has said that Iraq was not the source of his problems.
So what do we do about this? The parents, the most likely source of any childhood trauma, are prominent and appear to be in denial. The mother is deflecting responsibility to PTSD, of which there is a small likelihood (never before reported). Because PTSD shares many behavioral expressions with childhood trauma, it can't be dismissed and if present, should be treated. The Department of Defense began mandatory screening of Iraq veterans in 2008 both when the deployment ended and 6 months later. Services are available to veterans so screened for a period of 5 years after diagnosis. Track was likely screened but there were no reports of PTSD before his mothers accusation. It is now over 6 years since he left Iraq.
First of all, the young man has a host of problems to face that he doesn’t need wide exposure about. With a BA level of .189, he likely came out of a blackout, described as either common or fragmentary. What is confusing is that a person in a common blackout can be a social drinker, and have no recollection of what happened yet function with what appear to be normal behaviors. They carry on conversations, drive vehicles, dance and have sexual relations. He may have been shocked to hear what he is charged with, and have no memories connected to some of the actual events. He has many problems to deal with as a consequence of his behavior, behaviors that I believe were recognized a decade ago and could have been addressed with ACE screening. Because they were not, he faces the potential of a life with a DV assault on his record, and cannot seek certain types of employment as a consequence of a conviction if it occurs.
ACE’s and the behaviors adopted to cope with our childhood trauma affect every segment of society. Instead of trolling and bullying behaviors on the web, we should be educating others about the seriousness of not addressing childhood trauma, and working to prevent it. That’s my goal. I thought long and hard about even posting about this issue, and I did not post any names, although you will either recognize the case or can discover it through the links. But I can really do no more damage. This young man’s mother already publicized his issues worldwide. And she is clearly in denial. But as an adult, perhaps we can create an environment where he can seek and receive help. Let’s keep working towards that goal.