Vulnerability, beyond all other devices of human expression, is a great equalizer for the conditions of our society. When we expose our struggles and trauma to those in power, it is not burdening weakness that they feel, but rather it is the accountability to change. While this fact remains, the courage of vulnerability is grappling with a losing battle to stigma and discrimination within cultures that were built to unite us. Despite this past year forcing physical vulnerability in more ways than one, we are yet to address certain symptoms of this pandemic that are slowly being silenced with time. The mental health crisis that we’ve seen rising in younger generations has now surfaced. With that, the number of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have skyrocketed. It’s easier to question the courage that it takes to be vulnerable than to actually educate ourselves and recognize how much adversity we truly face. It’s time to turn the fear of vulnerability into courage and stand strong in our conviction for change.
Last month, I had the privilege of sitting down with Dana Brown, the Southern California Regional Community Facilitator for the ACEs Connection Network, to talk about the significance of the ACE study and its expansion. Brown has worked as a social entrepreneur for 23 years, seeking change with ACEs science - epidemiology, neurobiology, biology, epigenetics, resilience building, etc. She’s engaged in the deep work of raising awareness, through the lens of cultural humility, for systemic racism, privilege, and the impact of systems-induced trauma.
Under normal circumstances, trauma can cause both mental and emotional isolation. But one year ago, when physical isolation was abruptly forced onto us, mental illness and adversity became an epidemic of its own. As Brown describes it, “[the rapidly rising mental illness and suicide rates], compounded with civil unrest, and exacerbated by political rhetoric, are a direct symptom of the pandemic.” She cites that reports of child abuse have gone down by roughly a third since the pandemic began but not for the reasons we think (Horowitz & Graf, 2019). Lockdown provided no opportunities for children and teenagers to actively seek help, keeping them trapped in whatever terrifying reality that we’ll conveniently never know of. We can more clearly define the impact of the pandemic in the soaring rates of human trafficking, domestic violence, suicide, and poverty (Griffith, 2020). These issues don’t need a devil’s advocate. While victims of abuse and trauma are running a mile a minute on fear, the world has come to a dangerous halt. It’s only a matter of time before they fall, so it’s now our job to keep pace with them and make sure that they get back up.
Comments (0)