"Childhood Disrupted" by Donna Jackson Nakazawa

Started by Perkins, August 10, 2015, 11:13:50 AM

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Perkins

Book title:
Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal

Author:
Donna Jackson Nakazawa, science journalist

Published:
July 7, 2015

ISBN-10: 1476748357
ISBN-13: 978-1476748351


A few books in my recovery journey stand out above the rest, and Childhood Disrupted is one of them.   It is scientific proof for something I have suspected in the past, as I imagine so many here at Out of the FOG / OOTS also have.

Childhood Disrupted helped me vastly broaden my understanding that not only is our mental health impacted by childhood trauma, but our adult physical health tremendously so.   Every physical health condition you can imagine, but not always, may have its roots in childhood adverse experiences because DNA is altered.   The past harm can potentially become our present adult health conditions.

For me, this seems to be the "nature" side in the "nature versus nurture" discussion of childhood trauma.   And, I imagine, it really blends both together.

The American CDC ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) score is used as a measure throughout the book, but it also goes into any adverse experience during childhood, including severe childhood bullying, medical crisis, and other circumstances.  The "ACEs Too High" is the ACE web site referred to by the author in the book, and is where you can take the ACE test.

Even if you think you were not abused, please consider reading this book. 

64% of adults have a measurable ACE score which translates to damaged DNA (epigenetics) for ~90% of individuals from what I understand from the book.   The author, a science journalist, details traumas beyond what you may expect.   For instance, the trauma one's mother went through BEFORE birth impacts the child's genetics, which shows up in adulthood.   Additional examples included are adverse experiences such as potential current stress in school testing, academics pressures, school bullying, traumatic medical treatments which are not measured with ACE.

The damage from childhood unpredictable trauma which overwhelms the child's nervous system alters the biology, alters DNA (epigenetics), which then shows up often many years later in our physical health conditions.   In other words, we are not only recovering from mental health issues, but the damage to all aspects of our physical health.

An analogy is given in the book of a flower bud damaged, let's say by hail in a late Spring storm.   When the flower opens later in the Spring, then the damage is fully seen.  This is like the child's biology damaged by adverse experiences that damage DNA.   A traumatic event at the age of 12, then can be seen at the age of 35 such as mitral valve prolapse, skin conditions, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and neither the patient nor the doctor understand the correlation to childhood adverse experiences.   Whether single events, or chronic such as a childhood filled with hypercritical parent comments, the damage to the brain, the DNA is discussed by Nakazawa.

For instance, damage done by a hypercritical parent's berating is slightly more damaging to the brain than physical beatings as seen in scans.


There are protective genes in some individuals that seem to override the damage of ACE.  It seems about 10% of the population which explains why a handful of people are not damaged.  And, there are genes such as the "sensitivity" gene which increase the damage from ACE.   I assume the "sensitivity" gene is the same as Elaine Aron's HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) which is discussed in both Out of the FOG and OOTS topics.  The upside to this same sensitivity gene is that it increases the effectiveness in healing with positive input to the child and adult.  Dr. Elaine Aron's hsperson web site has more information on HSP, along with a HSP test.

I will say upfront that the first half of the book was emotionally hard for me to read and took patience, as it details the childhood ACE and then the physical health crisis outcome in adulthood. Story after story, and the book's premise sinks in, which is the case Nakazawa is proving.   The physical health outcomes include ones that I live with, and so many dear friends of mine that have lost their lives too early, and nearly all had traumatic childhoods.   In other words, be prepared to grieve.   It was very helpful for me to remember the book also has solutions while reading the first half of this book!


The bad news of the book at the front is actually the good news, to some degree, in the second half of the book in that the brain is "plastic," growing and can heal.  We can actively take steps to heal, and in many modalities that many of us use already, with additional ones that I had not considered.

The book details why those healing practices such as tai chi, yoga, mindfulness meditation, art therapy, writing therapy and more are effective, and supported by using current neuroscience and studies.   Take self-care to a new level.

Below are excellent OOTS sister site forum resources on some of these practices.  Although keepfighting's topic is not directly in the book, she helped me start to see the trauma-to-biology relationship which drew me to Childhood Disrupted book.

Search the OOTS forum with the keywords of "Meditation - genetic and cellular benefits" for Butterfly's mindfulness meditation topic.

Search the OOTS forum with the keywords of "New research approach about depression and anxity disorders" for keepfighting's depression and anxiety as an infection topic.

Search the OOTS forum with the keywords of "Recovery and flashback-busting: what works for us?" for schrödinger's cat many resources and suggestions summarized from the OOTS forum.

The book also has a chapter on parenting to help your children now if you know they are exposed to adverse situations beyond your control.  Also, the book details the natural pruning in the adolescent's brain which impacts them on top of the damage done due to prior adverse experiences.


Childhood trauma has far worse consequences than society seems to understand.

The link between childhood trauma and mental health issues has gradually been seeping into mass consciousness over the recent decades, and the Childhood Disrupted book opens understanding to the larger aspect that all physical health issues can potentially be caused by childhood adverse experiences, using cutting-edge science to support this premise.

Doctors are encouraged to add questions regarding childhood adverse experiences in patient visits and history.   Educating our doctors on this topic is also advocated by the Nakazawa.

The book is well written, extensively researched, and was well worth reading IMHO.   It is available as an audiobook, e-book, and in hardcover.  I listened to the audiobook from my local library.   Three cheers for libraries!!    :cheer:  :cheer:  :cheer:

For more information, check out the "Donna Jackson Nakazawa" web site, and also the recent Huffington Post article by Jane Ellen Stevens' interview of the author.


Is This Normal

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Perkins for the in-depth review of what sounds like a groundbreaking book. I am putting it on my list now. Ah, so many books, so little time. Sigh...

It looks like you're new to the site. If so, welcome!

-ITN-

Perkins

You are so welcome, welcome, welcome, ITN!   I'm grateful for the Out of the FOG forum to be able to share this with so many this most likely impacts!   The sooner people know, the sooner we can start and increase our healing recovery for our bodies as a whole.   And, wouldn't it be heaven if childhood abuse ended with a more informed world?    We can dream.

I very much understand what you mean on "so many books, so little time"!!!!    With that said, I'm listening to Childhood Disrupted book a second time to take more notes.    It seems we can reverse many of these conditions which I find comforting.    And, I am even more motivated on these practices now that I know they make a measurable difference.

Hopefully, we can pass the word on to others.   The author has a blog, Facebook page to spread the word, and advance discussion.

I appreciate your welcome, ITN.   It means a lot.  Thank you!

Good luck on your pile of books to be read, ITN.    :yes: