For State of Opportunity, reporter Zak Rosen explored how childhood trauma can lead to health problems later in life.
In his story, he asks you to imagine this:
"Try to imagine this. It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon. Beautiful day.
You’re hiking alone in the forest. And then you hear some rustling leaves behind you.
Your heart begins to pound. You turn around to see a huge, snarling bear, staring directly at you.
In this moment, your body is releasing a ton of hormones that will help you either fight the bear or run away.
This is the body’s natural fight or flight response at work.
“If this happens once in a very long time, then that makes a lot of sense. It’s life saving and it’s this big activation in your system,” says Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a pediatrician and the founder and CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco.
But what if that bear is an abusive parent?"
Listen to the story here.
