11: Guest Bess Hilpert Shares Her Experiences of Childhood Abuse and Trauma and Her Journey Toward Healing and Finding ”I”

Trigger warning: This episode includes dialogue around sensitive issues including childhood abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, rape, suicidal ideation and suicide. Please take care of yourself and seek appropriate help if you need support.

Did you experience childhood trauma or abuse? Adverse childhood experiences are defined as traumatic events that happen between ages one and seventeen.

They include:

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Emotional neglect
• Physical neglect
• Mentally ill, depressed, or suicidal person in the home
• Drug addicted or alcoholic family member
• Witnessing domestic violence
• Loss of a parent to death or abandonment by parental divorce
• Incarceration of any family member for a crime

Research shows that these experiences have a profound impact on both mental and physical health throughout the lifespan. The CDC shares that 61% of adults had at least one ACE and 16% experienced four or more ACEs. Last year alone, there were 3.5 million reports of child abuse reported in the United States.

I am so grateful to author and activist Bess Hilpert for sharing her story of childhood abuse and trauma as well as the healing journey she has been on. Bess is passionate about bringing awareness to the impact of ACEs and is making it her mission to give permission to others to share their story by sharing her own.

Resources:

Finding I: A Journey of Repair by Bess Hilpert

Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire

FindingI.org

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Sponsor for today's podcast: RealtyIT

Next Steps:

You can find me at jenalley.com or follow me @jen.alley.therapist on Instagram.

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