Today, I will share about toxic stress symptoms in partnership with Stress Health, an initiative of the Center for Youth Wellness.
Toxic Stress Symptoms In Children
I am so happy to partner with the CYW (Center For Youth Wellness) and their Stress Health resources aimed to support families and individuals dealing with adversity and toxic stress from childhood through adulthood. Toxic stress can result from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and can affect lifelong health and behavior. I recently learned about Toxic Stress from a TED talk by Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris and I was just blown away to learn what a negative impact it can have on a child throughout their lives even increasing “the risk for 7 out of 10 of the leading causes of death in the United States.”
What is Toxic Stress?
Toxic stress is a high level of stress that results from exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) which are damaging life events like emotional or physical abuse, neglect, parental addiction, mental illness and household instability. Powerful stress hormones overwhelm the child’s body and brain and produce very negative effects.
The good news is that research shows parents can be the most powerful force in preventing or even reversing the impact of toxic stress in their children. That’s why it is helpful to be alert for Toxic Stress Symptoms.
- Poor coping skills
- Behavior and learning difficulties
- Mood swings
- Sleep issues
- Regressing to bedwetting
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches
- Overeating and other compulsive behaviors
- Fear and anxiety triggered by places or people that remind them of past trauma
- Frequent illness
These are not the only possible toxic stress symptoms, so if something feels amiss with your child, it is a good idea to talk to them and listening to try to find out what is going on.
You can learn more about Stress Health, ACEs, and CYW’s available resources at: http://www.stresshealth.org
Stress Health Resources
The Stress Health website is full of resources to help you learn how to address toxic stress symptoms. From information on parenting with ACEs, to advice on nutrition, healthy sleep routines, and mindfulness, to a helpful newsletter with resources for you and your family, their mission is help parents recognize toxic stress symptoms and reverse the damage as soon as possible. You may want to take the ACEs Questionnaire.
Were you familiar with toxic stress in children and what a big impact it can have on their future? I hope you find these resources useful. Feel free to share them and get the word out so that kids can get help now! Let us know if you have questions @familyfocusblog or @WeStressHealth.