snowbunting

And no, I don't mean how ace you are as a person on a scale of 1 - 10

I've been reading a new book on alcoholic writers lately, and the chapter on John Berryman mentioned something called the ACE Study, of which I'd never heard (it stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences). Basically, the ACE Study asked '17'000 middle class Americans' 10 questions about their childhoods, focusing on whether they'd suffered different kinds of adverse experiences.

Here are the questions: Got Your ACE Score? « ACEs Too High. I'll try to add a poll to this thread in case anyone feels like sharing.

Each person was given a score, and it turned out that the likelihood of them being an alcoholic rose in parallel with their ACE scores. People with a score of 0 had just under a 2% chance of being an alcoholic, rising to 6% with a score of 1, 10% with a score of 2, etc etc. The risks of other diseases, suicide etc rose with similar increments too.

There are some criticisms of the ACE Study, but it was still very revealing to me. The book mentioned that John Berryman (the brilliant poet and desperate alcoholic who sadly killed himself aged 57) had a score of 3. I looked up the test and I have a score of 5.

I know that it is important not to dwell on 'reasons' for your drinking, as that can lead to self-justification and a sense of inevitability, both of which imperil recovery. Nevertheless, to me there is obviously a connection, and it does interest me. My husband, who is not an alcoholic, scored 0.

LadyinBC

I think for some people they are looking for answer as to why they are alcoholics. I didn't add up the results, but I did read the questions and yes quite a few of them applied to me. Not all though.

But I'm not really surprised to be honest. I came from a dysfunctional home and my family is full of alcoholics.

doggonecarl

Guess I'm a victim of a loving and nurturing family. And still an addict and alcoholic.

NoelleR

Yup, me too, darn them! .......

(o:
NoelleR

GracieLou

I scored a six. I am still an alcoholic.

Knowing the score does not change that fact. I don’t think a crappy childhood cased the craving, the inability to stop once I start or the obsession. Those are alcoholic. It was in my genes the day I was born. It was not learned behavior, at least it was not for me. I drank like an alcoholic the first time and every time after that.

PurpleKnight

I got a 7 . . . what do I win?!!

ScottFromWI

Same here. I had pretty much a storybook childhood yet still became an alcoholic. No one else in my family has addiction issues besides me. I got a zero on the ACE score if that matters.

ultradad

Scored a 7, guess my childhood really sucked : (

Needinghelp82

0 here. I have a wonderful family but still ended up here

GracieLou

I think this is what causes some of the cycle. Childhood sucked, teenage years sucked, first marriage sucked, second marriage sucked. Relationship with both of my parents still sucks...on and on, round and round.

Now that I see my part in it, my life no longer sucks.

I may have done nothing to cause the bad treatment but I sure as heck let it guide many of my decisions in life. That is my part and now that I see it, I can break the cycle.

Life happens but now I can take it for what it is, a bad day, not a bad life.

Carlotta

I scored a 6 too and I completely agree with you GracieLou

resolute50

1 but very close to being a O.
My drinking was cause and effect.
Cause I liked the effect.

Serotonin

6

snowbunting

Thanks everyone Just to clarify, as I said in my original post (towards the bottom), I'm not for a moment suggesting that getting high score justifies a person's drinking, or makes it somehow inevitable. I just found it a very revealing study, and for me personally I do feel it applies: the circumstances of my childhood did directly contribute to how I feel about myself now, and how I feel about myself contributes to my behaviour and the choices I make (haha, talk about stating the obvious right there!). A high score says nothing about a person's ability to recover though.

Thanks everyone

Gilmer

4. I find that the weaknesses my upbringing did not express themselves in my addictions, but rather in my choice of a mate.

goodkitty

7. But life is what you make it. And we all make choices. Working on changing mine.

Kevin78

6 for me.

Soberpotamus

6 but that's ok, I've always been a self-motivated person and never wanted my past to bring me down. I no longer have much contact with my family and my mother is now dead.

bookmaven

I'm a ZERO

FeenixxRising

Same here, I scored a 2 (although there was a possibility of a 3, depending on how one interprets the question). Still not bad, and I realize my childhood wasn't so bad.