1990年代，Kaiser Permanente的研究者设计了一项问卷，问题很朴素：你童年时被打过吗？被忽视过吗？家里有人酗酒吗？这份问卷后来被称为ACE（Adverse Childhood Experiences），覆盖超过17000名成年人，结论让医学界沉默了很久。
"The ACE study revealed that traumatic experiences in childhood are far more common than anyone had dared to imagine… and that childhood trauma is the single largest public health issue facing the United States." — The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk
ACE评分每高一分，成年后患心脏病、糖尿病、抑郁症的概率就随之阶梯式上升。最触目惊心的数据：ACE评分≥6的人，预期寿命比评分为0的人短将近20年。童年不只是心理的基底——它是字面意义上的生理命运。
"The body keeps the score: If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems… this demands a radical shift in our therapeutic approaches." — The Body Keeps the Score