THE DEEPEST WELL: Healing the Long-term Effects of Childhood Adversity Nadine Burke Harris, Mariner Books, 272p.
This book raises fascinating observations of a correlation between childhood adversity (violence, abuse, family unemployment, addiction, etc.) and long-term health challenges. The thesis is developing cells awash in cortisol (stress hormone) alters biology in a manner that makes a person prone to inflammation-related maladies later in life.
Far from settled science, this thesis makes clear sense.
The good news is that there are several strategies to reduce the long-term impact and protect children living in these environments.
Dr. Burke found children impacted by early trauma were not confined to strata of income, race, or geography but universally distributed.
It’s a book anyone associated with children or policies impacting the young ought to read.
If time is short, you can google the author; several TED talks summarize the pitch well.
The book itself is in a self-aggrandizing style that sometimes makes it hard to take seriously. But aside from the rampant narcism, the tome’s findings are thought-provoking and provide valuable insights into helping those impacted by early adversity.