A few evenings ago I went to a Commonwealth Club Event. It was Nadine Burke-Harris, M.D. in conversation with Katie Albright on the topic: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity. It's worth a listen if you can set aside an hour of your time. Dr. Burke's TEDtalk is a must-watch and will surely be worth the 16 minutes. It's called How Childhood Trauma Effects Health Across a Lifetime.
Nadine, and I hope she doesn't mind if I refer to her as Nadine, was particularly full of vibrant energy and hopeful passion on Tuesday evening. One cannot help but be swept up in her positive energy and hear her wonderfully positive message. "This is treatable! This is beatable!" As she repeated this week, "When we know better, we do better". She alone, with her remarkable energy and articulate message has breathed life into public awareness of the ACEs Study. I may be wrong but I think it's pretty safe to say the she IS the ACEs Movement.
For at least the last twelve years, since I found out about the ACEs Study, wherever I have gone and had a chance to present, I have asked "Who here has heard of ACEs or the ACEs Study?" I've always been appalled by how few put up their hands. But that number is increasing, thanks to those who are spreading the word. The ACE Study is an essential part of being trauma informed. If you are not, please find out as much as you can and, won't you please, join the movement!