Childhood Adversity and Adult Diseases

I have always thought that adverse childhood events were good for a person. Now I am not so sure. We can assume that all children need to experience some pain, discomfort and difficulty or they will not develop the adult "mental muscles" necessary to rise up and face adult challenges. However, when is too much adversity turn from being a good thing and become disabling? The old statement that, "Anything that does not kill us is good for us" may not really be true.

I have been involved in counseling and healing ministries as long as I can remember. Even in the first grade I was sought out by fellow students who wanted a caring shoulder to cry on and a listening ear to speak into. At age seven I was appointed the care giver for my Grandfather who lived next door and was so depressed that he was bed fast. I now understand a bit more about what being "predestined" means. I was chosen to be a helper with Christian values.

So, for over sixty years I have been trying to care for other people and help them overcome the Adversities of life. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master's Degree in Counseling College Students. After coming to University of Cincinnati I received a Doctorate in Counseling because I met so many troubled students. I was trying to become a better counselor and I think I did. However, I soon discovered that the world, the flesh and the devil were crushing more people than I could heal.

I wrote books and trained lay counselors around the world, but the number of broken people still grew. Why oh why was it happening? Just a few months ago I saw some research that gave me a clue about the rise in the number of traumatized adults. The research is called "Adverse Childhood Events and Adult Diseases" and it shows a dramatic correlation between these two facts. The more childhood adversity/trauma children experience the more diseases they have as adults.

When is adversity too much? When the child's ability to get stronger is broken. When his or her will is broken. When the inner wounds are not healed. When the child begins to think that God has abandoned him/her. When the child loses hope that God can help them. Then it is too much.

Go to www.garysweeten.com for more assistance. Or, call us at 513-769-4600 for the name of a Christian counselor. www.lifewaycenters.com for Life Way Counseling Centers.

Contact me if you want your ministry to follow the Great Physician. gsweeten@lifewaycenters.com