UNDERSTANDABLE by Robert Siegers

September 14, 2025 E292 - The Trauma Truth: How Childhood Wounds Sabotage Your Adult Life (ACE Study)

► Start Our Premium Course Trial:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://understandable.net/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠(Ad)

► Download the Free Workbook full of Re-Regulation Resources & Writing techniques:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://understandable.net/book/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠(Ad)

What if your constant battle with shame, burnout, or the feeling that something’s wrong with you… isn’t actually about you? But what if it’s about your childhood?

In this video, we’re unmasking one of the most important studies on trauma ever conducted (interestingly enough I’ve never talked about it here on the channel before) — the famous ACE Study — Adverse Childhood Experiences.

We’ll uncover what it reveals about how your childhood silently rewired your brain, your body, and your entire sense of self.

How this is affecting nearly every area of your adult life

And most importantly: what you can do to break free from the patterns from your past and stop passing the trauma to the next young generation.

► Links and Resources:

Physical Symptoms Episode:

https://youtu.be/lwhrWvjcOq0?si=jIcStaNgfG5zNu2-

Hypervigilance Episode:

https://youtu.be/Mhoa6_53StI?si=EFEcJAmUOYVA1Mj-

ACE Study Full Paper: https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/s0749-3797(98)00017-8/pdf

Dr. Vincent J. Felitti:

https://drvincentfelitti.com/

ACE Study CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html

ACE Study Results CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html

Canadian ACE:

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2022001/article/00016-eng.htm

ACE and Cancer:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-025-00138-6

ACE and Depression: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032724001484

ACE and Suicidality: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6220625/

ACE and Life Outcomes:

https://therapyinanutshell.com/ace-study/

Trauma and Brain Change: https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06306-w

ACE Quiz:

https://americanspcc.org/take-the-aces-quiz/

► Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGiJdF0yeTyRJanW_uSICDw?sub_confirmation=1⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Spotify: ⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/2gaheQLxBwByM9txVzlpI6⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/understandable/id1399616905⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Amazon Music:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://music.amazon.de/podcasts/ee3580cb-61c5-4aa1-9ad4-1204014078e7/understandable⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

► Episode Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:55 Why The ACE Study Mattered So Much

02:38 The 10 ACE’s

04:21 ACE Study Findings: Trauma is way more common than we think

05:44 How ACE’s Drastically Sabotage Your Adult Life

08:44 What Trauma Does To The Brain And Body

10:42 Not All Adversity Is Bad

11:58 Healing From The Consequences Of ACEs

12:06 Step 1: Awareness & Re-Connection With Yourself

13:42 Step 2: Relearning Safety Through Relationships

14:43 Step 3: Rebuild The Skills You Were Never Taught

► Reach Out To Me :)

E-Mail: [email protected]

► Hi, my name is Robert! I create videos about childhood trauma & attachment theory.

My content aims to help you transform trauma-driven reactions that block you, so you can embrace a life full of happiness, safe & loving relationships, and self-confidence. :)

► Disclaimer: None of the contents are therapeutic or medical recommendations. The contents are not to be understood as therapeutic-medical instructions and are neither intended as professional health advice nor as education.

I am not a health professional myself. My content is based on research and my personal experiences working with various therapists as a client for three years.

...more