Written by Shreya Meda

Looking back on life, I can definitely say that my past experiences have shaped who I am today. Specifically, the experiences I had at a younger age were very formative in creating the person I am today. I may not have realized it then at that moment, but looking back I can see how each experience taught me something or changed my perspective. Over the past summer, I read the novel The Deepest Well, written by Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris. In this novel, Dr. Burke-Harris describes how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can lead to lifelong health problems in patients that are otherwise healthy. Dr. Burke-Harris breaks down stress and moreso, cortisol, the stress hormone, as the culprit for these lifelong health problems such as heart disease, stunted growth, cancer, asthma, depression, etc.

Novel Background

This novel was an interesting read as it offered the explanation about the effect life experiences could potentially have on health. As a Public Health major, it has been ingrained in me that attaining the Social Determinants of Health are vital for longevity, and that resource-poor areas are often at higher risk of developing morbid conditions since they are not able to completely fulfill the determinants’ requirements. However, it was interesting to learn that ACEs do not discriminate by socioeconomic status. Any person can go through adverse childhood experiences that encompass many forms of neglect or abuse – they are not defined by socioeconomic status. Even though this is true,  the long-term consequences of the trauma are much more prevalent in resource-poor areas due to their inability to provide support for children to heal from the adverse events they have gone through.

Harlem

While volunteering at an elementary school in Harlem, a resource-poor area in New York, I was able to see the effect ACEs combined with a lack of resources can have on a child. The children that I worked with were aged 7-10 and would occasionally tell me stories of traumatic events that they had experienced recently. Hearing these stories was very difficult, especially because they were entrusting me, a stranger, with this information. However, when I tried to put myself in their shoes and see how their experiences at such a young age could have affected them, it became clear to me how traumatic events can really alter one’s wellbeing at a young age.

Going through any stressful experience will release cortisol. At that young age, it is only amplified due to a lack of developed and adequate coping mechanisms. Reading The Deepest Well made me realize that we need to start investing more in children. When I look into the eyes of the children I volunteer for in Harlem, I see resilience, eagerness to learn, and hope. Every child should have these qualities within themselves and continue to persevere even as adults. There is no simple solution to reduce the amount of adverse experiences one goes through during their childhood, but we can at least undoubtedly find ways to support vulnerable children.

Solutions

There are many different solutions that can be implemented to ensure that children that have gone through ACEs will be able to have a healthy life. Affection and giving children a sense of belonging has been proven to be the greatest remedy. Ensuring that this support specifically takes place in a school setting is vital, as there is ease in reaching all children along with creating the idea that school is a safe-haven. Equipping resource-poor areas with higher amounts of trained therapists and social workers within public schools will help children feel at ease. It was found that children who have experienced ACEs often have flare-ups at schools due to the competitive or hostile environment that is fostered in schools. Supporting children in school will make school a new safe place for them, and will in turn make them eager to attend and further their education – a necessary remedy to help break the cycle of poverty and mistreatment common in areas like Harlem.

Edited by Amna Hassan