On The Deepest Well by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

The Deepest Well by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris opened my eyes to a new world of information and a new layer of understanding. This book focuses on the way adverse childhood experiences, ACEs, affect biological outcomes. Dr. Burke Harris is excellent at illustrating technical topics in a logical, easy-to-follow way. This book was a great read because it was intuitive. It relates the stress in our everyday lives to an understanding *how* the mood works. "Once you understand how your body and brain are primed to react in certain situations, you can start to be proactive about how you approach things," (p.226). I felt like I got a much deeper understanding of myself through reading this book. 

One of the most shocking facts was "a person with four or more ACEs was twice as likely to develop heart disease and cancer and three and a half times as lack to develop COPD as a person with zero ACEs" (p.46). 

The most salient example of how helpful regular screening of ACEs could be is the example of the many young kids who get prescribed ADHD medicine. The student may act out in class or have a short attention span. Instead of only prescribing medicine, which, of course, has its place, screening for at-home issues can get to the root of a chemical imbalance or inappropriate stress response. Instead of 'zombifying' our kids, giving them therapy and a strong 'buffer' individual in their lives could allow them reset mentally and get back on track hormonally. I learned a lot about the importance of a loving caregiver and a solid support network. So many times, people's trauma makes them shut their loved ones out. But letting them in actually heals. 

One of the most amazing things is the effect exercise, meditation, healthy eating, healthy relationships, and sleeping can have on our lives biochemically. "Even in areas much better off than Bayview, toxic stress was essentially invisible to the health-care system...toxic stress is an unseen epidemic affecting every single community," (p.98). She reflects: "I was worried that the issue was being framed as a 'poor-people problem' or a 'black-and-brown problem" (p.165). "We can't treat what we refuse to see," (p.180).  Burke Harris emphasizes that ACEs exist in rural white communities, immigrant communities, African American communities, and Native American communities. In an effort to bring light to the disproportionate effects all major issues have on impoverished communities, I could see how people could isolate affluent communities that may look like they have it all together but are also suffering. 

The end was triumphant and emotional, begging all of us to find the courage to address our own pain so that we may protect and love others. Read more about ACEs here. Thank you to Sue Foreman for this recommendation!