b'Adverse childhood experiencesAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful incidents or environments which children experience and which have the potential to cause long-lasting trauma and mental ill-health.Psychological trauma is what happens when a person is overwhelmed by stress and feels that he or she is unable to return to a safe state. When this occurs, it can cause lasting harm to the brains stress responses, setting them on a trajectory for long term mental ill-health.ACEs are traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and wellbeingAdapted from YoungMinds23Children exposed to various ACEs early in life are at increased risk for a broad range of developmental difficulties, affecting both cognitive and emotional development.Childhood trauma is at the root of many social andStudies show clearly that ACEs can significantly raise the personal issues in our society. There is a huge linklikelihood of over 80 damaging life outcomes, including between ACEs and toxic stress and this impactsalcoholism, drug addiction, criminality, mental ill health, suicide the developing brain and body when a prolongedattempts, heart disease, liver disease, obesity and many more. activation of the stress response system occurs.The greater the number of ACEs without a buffering Toxic stress can have damaging effects on learning,relationship, the greater the exposure to toxic stress behaviour, and health across the lifespan. and risk of mental and physical ill health.hamishandmilo.org 9'