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A “courageous, compassionate, and rigorous every-person’s guide” (Christina Bethell, PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) that shows the link between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and diseases, and how to cope and heal from these emotional traumas.
Your biography becomes your biology. The emotional trauma we suffer as children not only shapes our emotional lives as adults, but it also affects our physical health, longevity, and overall well-being. Scientists now know on a bio-chemical level exactly how parents’ chronic fights, divorce, death in the family, being bullied or hazed, and growing up with a hypercritical, alcoholic, or mentally ill parent can leave permanent, physical “fingerprints” on our brains.
When children encounter sudden or chronic adversity, stress hormones cause powerful changes in the body, altering the body’s chemistry. The developing immune system and brain react to this chemical barrage by permanently resetting children’s stress response to “high,” which in turn can have a devastating impact on their mental and physical health as they grow up.
Donna Jackson Nakazawa shares stories from people who have recognized and overcome their adverse experiences, shows why some children are more immune to stress than others, and explains why women are at particular risk. “Groundbreaking” (Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance) in its research, inspiring in its clarity, Childhood Disrupted explains how you can reset your biology—and help your loved ones find ways to heal. “A truly important gift of understanding—illuminates the heartbreaking costs of childhood trauma and like good medicine offers the promising science of healing and prevention” (Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart).
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Nakazawa argues persuasively that people with high ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) scores are at much greater risk of certain kinds of physical illnesses – especially autoimmune disorders – than are people whose ACE scores are low. She also points out that many doctors and other medical professionals are oblivious to the fact that many of the physical health issues they encounter in their patients are, in fact, caused by severe stresses as a consequence of childhood traumas. The medical professions seem to be woefully unaware of the powerful psychosomatic (mind-body) impacts that can result from psychological stressors. Therefore, many patients with severe autoimmune disorders are routinely misdiagnosed by doctors who lack sufficient awareness that a patient’s childhood experiences can gravely impact adult health issues.
As a nonprofessional, it appears to me that, in general, much of Western medical science is due for a makeover, if not a downright revolution. In Western science, there is a serious deficiency in an understanding of the powers of the human mind. By and large, the mind is regarded as NON-EXISTENT – a merely mysterious by-product of physical brain functions. Since the brain is physical, and given the philosophical supposition that the mind consists of brain processes, the powers of the mind are absurdly underrated, marginalized, and often discounted as, in analytical fact, NON-EXISTENT.
Notwithstanding Western sciences’ brilliant successes in “mastering” material entities, its stubborn refusal to acknowledge the viability and powers of the mind simply means that, in certain respects, Western science and philosophy have foundered at the point where Democritus (with his “atoms and the void”) left them in ancient Greece (some 24 centuries ago). My point is not to argue that, regarding matter and the material world, science has not progressed, because it obviously has been brilliantly advanced. However, from the perspective of the mind-body problem, science and philosophy are largely stuck – regardless of how much some neuroscientists might believe that we’re on the verge of a breakthrough, whereby the “consciousness problem” is scientifically solved. The fact is that Western science will have to undergo a revolution (greater than the Copernican revolution) if it will ever make meaningful inroads into the glories of the mind.
My digression into philosophy and science is intimately related to this book review. Nakazawa repeatedly decries the grave inadequacies in our medical professions regarding the crying need to grant due importance to how the mind, when it suffers dysfunctions, can DESTROY the body. To underrate that importance is a seriously damaging error of which most Westernized medical science is guilty. Donna Nakazawa’s book shines the spotlight on medical science’s neglect.
Although my personal interest in this book was principally a desire to learn how better to tackle my psychological problems from childhood abuse, I found this book to be highly informative, enlightening, and worthy of high marks. After all, the book shines a light where much of Western medical science fears to tread.
some of the tools offered in the healing half seem like a sugar pill instead of a scientifically justifiable solution, but they have worked for those chronicled in the book.
This is very much a book worth reading to help oneself, or anyone we deal with.
If you had any trauma in your early years, read this book.
Until then, please read this book and share it with as many people as you can and every healthcare professional you see.
Highly recommended!!
I now see options to heal and recover. The book shares a multitude of ideas. I have been receiving EMDR with my therapist. I am ever hopeful there is a path to freedom! I highly recommend this book.
While the book does cover some technical material, this is easily understandable by the average reader. She explains it in clear language without dumbing it down.
Also, don't think of this as a depressing recitation of how bad things can get because there is a large section of ideas on how to begin healing work.
I can't praise this book highly enough. Bravo, Ms. Nakazawa!
Speaking as someone who knows, being sick most of the time is not something to look forward to. No wonder no one told me.
Through scientific research, Nakazawa demonstrates how our genes are changed based on our childhood trauma, known as epigenetic imprinting and methylation. The result is an inflammation of the organs through cortisol and cytokines, leading to inevitable illnesses in our adulthood. The science is virtually incontrovertible, and the research is extensive. Each chapter illustrates this process with real life stories that grip the heart yet give hope. If you've suffered childhood trauma, then you will certainly identify with the research and stories here. This is a profound and enlightening book. The last three chapters give cutting-edge information on how to begin a pathway towards recovery, from personal to professional approaches. This is one of the best books I have ever read on childhood trauma (see also The Body Keeps the Score by Van Der Kolk). It is very well written and researched. I highly recommend it.
One of the most helpful books this book junkie has read in a long time. Offers hope and healing to those with ill health struggling to understand their problems as well as those who are attempting to heal from child abuse. As a helper I recognize this is very cutting edge research that is definately not the same old stuff! Will give as a gift to many I love.
Childhood Disrupted is well-written and very well-referenced. One real-life story the author included was so traumatic I had to skip a few paragraphs (starts p. 17). God bless that young girl who learned to overcome her initial post-trauma challenges, cope well later on and find joy in her adult life. It gives me hope that the rest of us who also suffered Adverse Childhood Experiences can overcome our resultant adult challenges as she did.
I have underlined the parts of the book that I resonated with the most. Every few days I pick up the book and read them again and I'm finding that the words are slowly sinking in. On a deep level I'm gaining the understanding that my feeling of brokenness was cultivated during a time when I was very vulnerable. I find that this information has opened up a wellspring of insights that are bubbling up little by little and each one is helping me to understand how I came to be who I am. This awareness is a transformative gift.
I learned so much from this book. As I face my 50s and live with a few chronic illnesses, it's been important to understand all kinds of possible causes. The cause of childhood stress is one I wouldn't know about were it not for Donna's books. Beyond the cause or contributing factors information, this book covers solutions. And, of course, putting solutions in place is an important part of healing. Highly recommend this for anyone who lives with chronic illness.