Children Lose Years of Life Due to Childhood Stresses

A study recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that individuals whose childhood was stressful and harrowing are going to have a significantly shorter lifespan. Whereas the average life expectancy comes up to about 79 years, those who underwent negative childhood experiences are apt to die at the age of around 61 years, that makes nearly 20-year difference.

Having experienced over five childhood stressors, people have a higher possibility not to live to be 75 by 1.7 times, and if we take the age of 65 as the finish line, the possibility goes up to almost 2.4 times.

Any kind of childhood stresses including suffering constant abuse and living with a mentally deranged parent or guardian puts pressure on the child’s brain, generates a chronic state of dejection. Unable to shake off the feeling, an uptight youngster is likely to resort to alcoholism or other kinds of addiction in an attempt to alleviate his condition.

Scientists from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that living through traumatic experiences in childhood may lead to developing various diseases of the heart, the lungs, the liver and general weakening of health.

The CDC leading expert Robert Anda is sure that childhood stresses lie in the base of health deterioration. He says: “If we want to address a lot of major public health issues we’ve got to address the kind of stressors children have in our society as a way of primary prevention.”

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/Mattox.