Recent events along the border could lead to a new generation of addiction as forcible separation of children from their parents is an obvious early childhood trauma which, like other adverse childhood experiences, increases the odds of the child growing up with depression, PTSD, drug abuse & reliance as well as other behavioral and mental problems.
Some of these children will find themselves permanently separated from their parents will be passed on to foster care and grow up here making the consequences of harsh treatment a poor means of addressing the potential citizens who may come to live in the United States with or without the parents they came with.
But the current effects on children and their parents are not the worst of it. Forcibly separating children from their parents can have lifelong health implications for the young people.
With separation, children will experience tremendous surges in adrenaline from the terrifying events. Adrenalin is the neurotransmitter that contributes to creating a permanent memory of the experience.
This emotional trauma is one of the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) associated with “a wide range of physical and mental health problems throughout a person’s lifespan” including chronic pain, substance use disorders, depression, aggressive behavior, and post traumatic stress disorder. According to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, unusually difficult childhood experiences lead to a higher ACE score. The higher a child’s score, the greater the health risks.
The children who are torn away from their parents find themselves alone in a strange country where they may not know the language or understand the customs. That is enormously stressful. Click Here to Continue Reading