Reducing Adverse Childhood Experiences

 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) have been studied for 25 years and the more ACE’s one has experienced the worse their adult health and well-being.  The ACE’s studied include: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, exposure to domestic violence, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household member.  The ACE’s are directly connected to the adult health problems including heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, depression, and smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, promiscuity, and severe obesity.  

The more ACE’s that are incurred as a child the greater the risk of adult illness.  Compared to an ACE score of zero, a score of four ACE’s is associated with a seven-fold (700%) increase in alcoholism, a doubling (200%) increase in risk of having cancer, a four-fold (400%) increase in having emphysema, and an ACE score above six is associated with a 30-fold (3000%) increase in attempted suicide. 

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) are wide spread in our culture in part because there has been no effective way to break the Cycle of Relief Seeking associated with this trauma until Peer-Pods… Personal healing Teams.  Parents carry the wounds into adult life and the negative coping patterns, addictions, and limiting beliefs continue. Worse, these unskillful responses to pain are passed on to children.  This has been true for many generations in western culture.  The costs in health care and lost productivity is over $1 Trillion per year.  The cost in lost human potential is even greater. 

The lack of an effective initiation into adult spiritual life is believed by many to be a primary cause of this multigenerational disaster.  So long has this been true that many people simply believe this is the way it has to be.  Not so!  

Peer-Pods provide “An Initiation at Your Own Pace” and this enables Pod Mates to break through the Cycle of Relief Seeking into a Renewal Practice that builds Resilience.  Resilience is the practice of turning toward our pain and suffering, not away.  

When addressed in a safe and sacred space, with trusted friends, and the help of The Mystery, lifelong suffering in no longer seen as random chaos but as an opportunity to heal and bring forth one’s unique gifts in the process.  Resilient people get stronger in the face of difficulty.

Human beings are the planet’s most valuable and potent resource but they are vastly under-utilized. Peer-Pods provide a unique opportunity for this culture to heal in profound ways, to break the Cycle of Relief Seeking that perpetuates the Negative Coping Patterns, Addictions, and Limiting Beliefs.  The Peer-Pod practice is easy to learn, cost effective, and highly portable which makes this group of healing tools available to more people than ever before.  

Reducing the impact of ACE’s dramatically increases an individual’s level of engagement in their life which means more productivity, creativity, and service along with fewer sick days and better physical, mental, and emotional health.

Yes, external interventions are necessary for many people but the real long-term transformation will only happen from within the individual.  The Five Elements of the Peer-Pods Practice provide everything most people need to make meaningful positive change in their lives: 1) A safe and sacred space to be seen and heard and accepted as they are; 2) A structured process to find and resolve Originating Events (ACE’s); 3) A structured process to engage The Mystery to resolve issues that they have been unable to resolve by ego alone; 4) A weekly practice format that provides ongoing support and encouragement to turn insights into meaningful changes; 5) A Community of Healers doing the same work and supporting each other.