Ya’ll are probably getting really sick of me beating this drum about how we need to take our thoughts captive. But I will go on another table pounding rant again for the benefit of those who haven’t embraced yet this concept. Here I go…..
First the really bad news. Childhood trauma really can do a number on us and set us up with a 30% increased risk for multiple stress-related illnesses and even early death from illnesses to include death by suicide. I won’t bore you with stats-suffice it to say, childhood trauma isn’t good. A multi-decade study of 17 thousand people on adverse childhood experiences to include: physical abuse, verbal abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, parents divorcing, parent(s) alcohol/drug abuse, parent victim of domestic violence, parent with mental illness, family member in jail. The greater the number of these adverse circumstances the child is exposed to, the greater the likelihood of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, suicide, and the list goes on. Childhood trauma effects the developing brain, it effects hormone production, immune system function and can significantly change the fight/flight response (a heightened fight/flight response can be a good thing as a kid if you are trying to survive an unsafe environment-but not helpful when you have a heightened response as an adult when you are no longer in an unsafe environment but react to the world as if it’s unsafe). Kids exposed to seven or more of these risk factors had a decreased lifespan by 20 years. This is significant and tragic but it’s not the end of the story. With all this very bad news is some very good news…..but God. There is hope, actually a lot of it!
There was another giant study with more subjects (30K) over multiple decades that breathes hope and more perspective into the previous study. It turns out that all this table pounding I do about cleaning up our thinking is substantiated. Taking our thoughts captive is effective in changing the course of not only our lives, but future generations, our kids, grandkids and great grands-effective and legacy changing.
It turns out that how we think about the trauma in our childhood matters. People who viewed their childhood traumas only negatively (focusing only on the adversity/deprivation) had the 30% increased risk of stress-related illnesses and the shortened life span. People who viewed them less negatively (indifferently) had decreased risk. But here is the really powerful outcome changer-people who didn’t see it negatively but turned their pain into purpose and helped others as a result had 0% increased risk for stress-related illnesses and early death. Two scriptures come to mind when I see these studies; much of how I approach my coaching practice has been inspired by these scriptures because they are so powerful.
The first scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:3 “ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to made it obedient to Christ.”(emphasis mine) When we grasp how powerful our thoughts are, we understand that there is a war going on for our peace, joy and our very souls. Why was this shared with the Corinthians first and us in the bible? Because we naturally have pure and accurate thinking based on truth? Obviously not! The war, the attacks come to our minds. How we think about the things that happen to us and others in the world is where the battle takes place. We will either have thoughts that lead to despair, anxiety, depression, anger manifesting in self or others-harm, or we will take every thought captive to Christ (Truth) and experience peace in the chaos of this broken world.
In part 2 (of this rant) I will share about the second hope that comes from the second study that I wrote about. The other powerful choice and action we can take to turn the effects of childhood trauma around. Stay tuned!
Click here to check out my Christian Marriage Troubleshooting 6 Week Course for all kinds of tools to think differently and navigate the relationship challenges that come with marriage: Christian Marriage Trouble-Shooting 6 Week Course | Mustard Seed (teachable.com)