A Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention study shows that adverse childhood experiences, commonly
known as ACEs, can lead to lifelong challenges in mental, social and physical
health. These experiences include divorce, physical neglect, domestic violence
and more. Rieck said these types of experiences aren’t an “us versus them
issue” or about anyone’s socioeconomic status. All kinds of people have
experienced trauma as a child, she said.
“So it’s really about
all of us working here together in Pottstown to figure out how we can we
support our children and our families,” Rieck said.
About 130 people of
different area organizations came to the community meeting last week which was
held at the Montgomery County Community College Pottstown campus. Attendees of
the meeting viewed a video of a local resident who shared her experience of
childhood trauma. In the video, Marissa Kullman explains that at 14 she became
addicted to pain medication after being hit in the face with a paint ball. The
addiction eventually led to her use of heroin.
“I always said that I
worked full time, I had a car, I had insurance on it, I had a cellphone, I had
a place to live so I never really considered myself a drug addict because I was
a functioning drug addict; little did I know,” Kullman reveals in the video.
It’s was Kullman’s own
drug dealer that convinced her to get help by telling her she had a problem. So
in her early 20s, Kullman checked into Creative Health Services, then the
hospital and then a rehabilitation center. She said her connection with others
helps keep her sober. Kullman’s story is the first of many to come about how
individuals in Pottstown are breaking the cycle of ACEs, adverse childhood
experiences. These stories will be published on the Pottstown Trauma Informed
Community Connection website www.pottstownmatters.org.
“ACEs matter and they
are adverse childhood experiences” is the narrative that the community needs to
be informed about, said Kirsten Murray, director of development for the
Lakeside Educational Network. Murray, a Pottstown trauma informed committee
member, explained that the stress of childhood experiences can interfere with
brain development as well as how a child deals with emotion.
“This is why some kids
misbehave at school and fight at home … they’re trying to send up an SOS that’s
something’s wrong,” she said. Suzanne O’Conner, of the United Way of Greater
Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, said children that are being difficult
and angry all the time, most likely are experiencing some type of trauma.
O’Conner, who is also a member of the trauma committee, said now it’s time for
the community to figure out what their part can be such as how to appropriately
respond to adverse childhood experiences.
“What we’re trying to do
with this movement, with this initiative is to really change that mental model
to not what’s wrong with you but to what happened to you,” she said.
Dr. Andrew Trentacoste,
Creative Health Services CEO, said many people will probably react similar to
how he did when they first learn about adverse childhood experiences.
Trentacoste said he was shocked to learn he had several of the experiences
described. He said raising awareness is the starting point so people can begin
talking about how life experiences effect how you interact with others. This
will lead to people responding differently to those individuals they recognize
as having traumatic events, he said.
“That’s how healing
works. That’s how overcoming works,” Trentacoste said. “Overcoming adverse
childhood experiences, moving on from your experiences and developing into a
healthier member of our society is not the work of professionals. It’s the work
of communities.”
Community members at
Wednesday’s meeting had group discussions about their personal experiences and
ideas of how to overcome childhood trauma in Pottstown. John Foster talked
about his personal story of growing up and working during the Civil Rights
Movement. Foster is the vice president of Operation Inspiration, an
organization that works to improve Pottstown with education in crucial areas.
He used a quote from the Bible to explain how the community can help kids
overcome trauma.
“Train a child in the
way he should go,” Foster said.
The committee has organized
several Trauma 101 Training sessions for the community to attend and become
better informed. There will be a training session Oct. 6 and Nov. 15 at
Pottstown Middle School. For more information or to RSVP, use the email
[email protected] or call 610-970-6614. For more information about the
Pottstown trauma-informed initiative and adverse childhood experiences, visit
the website www.pottstownmatters.org.