The intersection of ACEs and addiction holds pervasive negative impact across the life span. Given the deleterious nature of addictive etiology, professional counselors need to be aware of the vulnerability to addiction for those affected by childhood trauma. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), addiction has biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. These factors make up the 10 components of the ACEs score, with research supporting higher likelihood of substance-related disorders as exposure to ACEs increases. These include physical abuse and neglect, emotional abuse and neglect, sexual abuse, and household dysfunction - e.g., mother treated violently, household substance misuse, parental incarceration, parental mental illness, and divorce. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, originally conducted by Kaiser Permanente and the CDC from 1995-1997, identified categories of trauma that can occur prior to age 18. Exposure to childhood trauma increases one’s risk of addiction across classifications, along with deleterious factors such as physical health and socioeconomic challenges. Substance-related disorders include 10 classes of drugs: alcohol caffeine cannabis hallucinogens inhalants opioids hypnotics, sedatives and anxiolytics stimulants tobacco and other/unknown substances. Deaths from overdose have tripled in less than two decades, with over 70,000 annual drug overdose deaths in 2019, 70% of which resulted from opioids such as morphine and fentanyl. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 21.2 million individuals in the United States met the criteria for a substance-related disorder in 2018. These consequences often include chronic health problems, dysfunctional family environments, harmful economic impacts and premature death. Substance dependence leads to persistent negative consequences and the loss of human potential.
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