Shock, Trauma Abuse and Abandonment

There are at least three levels of long term pain and wounds when they occur in children. The initial pain and grief can end up causing real psychological, emotional, relational, spiritual and physical problems for the adults after several years. The extent of the damage can vary according to the level of the original wound as well as the way the child, think about the wound. (More on these issues later!)

The researchers at Kaiser Foundation in California did this research in the Eighties. They sponsored a weight loss program for obese patients and discovered something very surprising about the people who dropped out. Those who lost the most weight often dropped out the most!!

Why? Adverse Childhood Events(Called ACE by Kaiser.)

The initial Level of Wounding can be a Shock: An occasional and infrequent loss of love, nurture, care and affirmation or an occasional and infrequent active voice or physical/sexual wound.

The Level may be a Trauma: A frequent loss of love or physical/sexual attack.

Last, the Level may be an Abuse: A chronic loss of love or physical/sexual, attack.

The wound can leave long term pain in the heart, head and body of the child. It can distort his/her thinking and actions for decades if mot healed. If the child also develops a dysfunctional self rejecting thinking pattern about himself/herself, the level of the original wound is deepened.  It is as though the wound becomes infected.

For example, a child experiences always loss when parents leave them. Whether the loss is from death, divorce or single parenting it is a severe ACE. If he/she begins to think like a victim it can become abusive situation emotionally. The way we ruminate about the wound can make it better or worse.

The accumulation of losses and attacks certainly tend to make the internal pain and dysfunction more severe and more likely to end up in an illness, addiction, compulsive behavior, depression, or other emotional distress.

Is healing possible? Can Christians be helpful? Yes! Childhood shock, trauma and abuse are not permanent if we know how to love with the fruit of the Spirit, pray with the power of God, share the word of God with tenderness and allow the gifts of the Spirit to flow. If you want you can learn how by getting our book called Breaking Free to be all God wants you to Be.

If you need to be healed of ACE order Breaking Free today.