‘Resilience’ – The Science Behind Stress and How to Overcome It

Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope reminds us that even a scrap of hope can be the key leading us to something big. We all get stressed, obviously, but there’s a particularly vicious kind that stems from negative childhood experiences. This ‘toxic stress’ can affect some people forever. Based primarily on scientific research by epidemiologist Robert Anda and preventative medicine doctor, Vincent Felitti, this film dives into understanding how our past health influences the present and what can be done to take control of our future. These two researchers coined the term ‘ACEs’ – Adverse Childhood Experiences – to discuss how traumatic stress from childhood of all different kinds will often lead to seemingly unrelated illnesses and self-sabotage behaviors later in adulthood.  

  But instead of just focusing on the negative aspects of toxic stress, this film chooses to zero in on the charismatic, deeply committed individuals finding methods to treat this toxic stress. The film follows Nadine Burke Harris, a pediatrician and head of a Youth Wellness in one of the poorest areas of San Francisco, who has been drawn to tackling this issue of toxic stress. Burke Harris along with several other doctors, social workers, and scientists are out to prove that this dangerous cycle can be broken. They suggest that we should invest in mental health treatments for children as early as possible – even if they are expensive – and support their families instead of penalizing them. Through preventative care and therapeutic trauma-reducing exercises, the negative effects of ACEs can be reduced or reversed. If you’re interested in learning about how to treat ACEs-related illnesses and behaviors, ACEs Connection is a social networking platform that connects folks implementing resilience-building exercises. Watch the trailer and stay engaged. 🙂