By Iridian Casarez, March 17, 2020, USC Center for Health Journalism Fellowships Post.
When people are put in a a stressful, traumatic situation, their bodies begin to release hormones and activate their fight-or-flight response. The hormones released during this process are healthy — in moderate amounts. It's a natural response our bodies undergo, but when the response is constantly triggered by a stressful environment it becomes hazardous, especially for children. Too much cortisol and adrenaline cause “toxic stress,” which is tied to poorer health outcomes later in life. 
Some of these health outcomes can be attributed to childhood trauma, known as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). There are 10 types of ACEs that fall into three categories: abuse, neglect and household dysfunction. And there are subcategories further describing the three categories: Physical, emotional and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; mental illness, incarcerated relative, mother treated violently, substance abuse and divorce. Each experience counts as one ACE.
Taken together, this is a reality many residents of Northern California’s Humboldt County face: ACEs and loads of toxic stress that lead to poor health behaviors and increased risk of serious health conditions.
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