Childhood experiences affect our development, influence our behaviors and help shape our outlook on life as we get older. Dr. Vincent Felitti of Kaiser Permanente and Dr. Robert Anda of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention conducted an original study on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the 1990s.

Studies showed a strong correlation between traumatic experiences and poor adult health as well as social outcomes later in life. More than 17,000 adult members were surveyed about their childhood exposure to 10 categories of abuse, neglect and household dysfunction. It was found that ACEs are common among the public regardless of race, class, religion and location.

The most common ACEs are substance abuse in the home; emotional, physical and sexual abuses; incarcerated family members; mental illness; domestic violence; and separation of parents.

One of the most shocking results from the study concluded that the life expectancy of a person who has suffered from six or more ACEs is shortened by 20 years and these people are 46 times more likely to become an injection drug user than those who have not suffered from any ACEs.

[For more of this story, written by Taylor Roseboom, go to http://www.viewfindergv.com/?p=3385]