Understanding and Unpacking Your ACE Scores

A Powerful Tool for Healing

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that occur during childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction. The ACEs study, conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente, revealed a strong connection between these early experiences and long-term health and well-being. The more ACEs an individual experiences, the higher their risk for mental health challenges, chronic diseases, and even a shortened lifespan. However, understanding and unpacking your ACE score can also be an empowering tool in your healing journey. Here’s how recognizing your ACEs can help you take charge of your well-being and foster resilience.

What is an ACE Score?

Your ACE score is a number between 0 and 10, based on how many types of adverse experiences you encountered before the age of 18. These experiences can include various forms of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunctions, such as substance abuse or domestic violence. The higher your ACE score, the greater the likelihood of encountering health and psychological difficulties later in life. However, this score is not a sentence—it’s a starting point for understanding how early experiences shape your well-being and what you can do to heal.

How Understanding Your ACE Score Can Be Helpful

1. Recognizing Patterns
   Unpacking your ACE score allows you to recognize patterns that may have developed over the years. For instance, if you experienced emotional neglect or instability at home, you might have grown up with certain coping mechanisms, such as shutting down emotionally or being hyper-vigilant in relationships. Recognizing these patterns can help you understand why you react the way you do, paving the way for change.

2. Validating Your Experiences
   For many people, learning about their ACE score is validating. It’s common to downplay past trauma or believe that certain events “weren’t that bad.” Understanding your ACE score can help you acknowledge the reality of what you experienced and how it has impacted your mental health. This validation is often the first step toward self-compassion and healing.

3. Breaking the Cycle
   Many people with high ACE scores worry about repeating the same patterns with their own children or in their relationships. By understanding your ACE score, you can become more mindful of how your past affects your present and make conscious choices to break negative cycles. Whether it’s setting healthier boundaries or learning new coping strategies, gaining awareness of your ACEs allows you to take proactive steps to create a different future.

4. Fostering Resilience
   While ACEs can have long-term impacts, resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Understanding your ACE score can help you identify areas in your life where you’ve already demonstrated resilience. By recognizing your strengths, you can build on them to navigate challenges and continue to grow.

5. Connecting Physical and Mental Health
   ACEs are linked not only to mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, and PTSD but also to physical health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions. By unpacking your ACE score, you may gain a clearer understanding of how your mental and physical health are connected. This awareness can help you take steps toward holistic healing, addressing both mind and body.

Empowering Your Healing Journey

1. Engage in Therapy
   Therapy is an essential tool for unpacking the impact of ACEs. Whether it’s cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), working with a therapist can help you process your past and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Therapy also provides a safe space to explore your feelings and work through complex emotions tied to childhood experiences.

2. Build a Support System
   Healing from ACEs is not something you have to do alone. Surrounding yourself with a supportive network—whether through family, friends, or support groups—can provide comfort, validation, and encouragement. Building connections with people who understand or empathize with your journey fosters a sense of belonging and reduces feelings of isolation.

3. Practice Self-Compassion
   Understanding your ACE score can stir up difficult emotions, but it’s important to approach yourself with kindness and compassion. Remind yourself that the behaviors and feelings you’ve developed are adaptive responses to past trauma, and healing takes time. Being gentle with yourself as you unpack your ACEs can make the process less overwhelming and more empowering.

4. Focus on Healthy Coping Strategies
   Once you begin to understand how your ACEs have affected you, it’s important to adopt healthy coping mechanisms. This could involve mindfulness practices, journaling, physical activity, or creative outlets. These strategies can help you manage the stress and emotions that may arise as you navigate your healing journey.

Conclusion

Understanding and unpacking your ACE score is a powerful step toward healing. It helps shed light on how your past experiences may be affecting your mental and physical health today, while offering a pathway to growth, resilience, and self-compassion. Though the impact of ACEs can be significant, you are not defined by your score. With the right support and tools, healing is not only possible but empowering.

At Blackbird Mental Health, we’re here to support you on your healing journey. Whether it’s unpacking your ACE score, exploring past trauma, or building resilience, we offer compassionate and tailored care to help you move forward. Together, we can work towards fostering growth, healing, and a brighter future.