Happiness is trending down in women on a generational basis.  Depression and anxiety is on the rise for men, women and children.  Almost all measures of negative affect were on the rise. Suicide rates are likewise on the rise and IQ is trending down.  Something is clearly wrong and there are many conversations about what the root issues are. I have read a lot of articles that attempt to find the reasons why. They point out quality of sleep is going down. Internet usage is up. Maybe it is declining social capital. Reasons abound. My experiences have led me to believe the main root causes of the ills is the long-lasting effects of maternal abuse and neglect.

Many women have been indoctrinated into believing providing the standard of care that newborns and toddlers need during their tender years is oppression. This has led to widespread anti-social values and anti-social behaviors at the hands of lots of women. Their values towards adult relationship and as mothers contribute to everyone else’s declining happiness. When the women end up sabotaging their own relationships their happiness declines as well.

Introducing Unused Tools: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma informed Care?

I find it curious when I read articles about declining happiness that do no mention trauma informed care or adverse childhood experiences. The juvenile justice agency I work in made very concerted efforts to be recognized as “trauma informed.” I received extra training on Adverse Childhood Experiences and was a “TIC Champion” that helped review my unit’s policies and programing. Google trends show increasing search interest about Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma Informed Care so I know I am not the only one receiving this information.

Many of the questions to ACE survey are tied tightly to early maternal abuse and neglect. Why researchers have not spent more time and effort researching that connection is likewise beyond me. I wonder why so many organizations do not look at the quality of maternal care as being crucial to a child’s long-term happiness. We have known anecdotally for all of human history and researchers were getting descriptive statistics in the 1950s showing that the mother-child bond was crucial.

My worldview is, like many people, shaped by my upbringing and my work. My mother was abusive and neglectful. The teenagers I work with often have mothers well versed in co-dependent sabotage or are the main source of the juveniles ACE scores. Having Parents Seperated or Divorced is an item on the ACE Survey, just like being sexually assaulted or having a parent die. Where is discussion by government agencies to address broken homes?

Reduction In Negative Outcomes by Addressing ACES

The CDC estimated the reduction in negative outcomes if society addressed ACES. The image below shows the possible reductions in negative outcomes. The negative link between depression and happiness is obvious. We should assume that anything that improves health improves happiness.

Women’s abusive and neglectful behaviors do not occur in a vacuum. They occur because many women have deeply anti-social values and anti-social behaviors in their relationships with the father of their children and their children. All of the tools to address women’s widespread anti-social values and anti-social behaviors are already available. They just need to be applied to the problem.