I've been sitting with a hard truth these past few months that my mother's trauma has shaped my nervous system.

And for years, I carried her trauma like it was mine.

That was how our relationship worked.

And caring for her now that she has dementia has brought these echoes close again.

If you've ever felt always on, hyper alert, braced for impact at work, you're not alone and you're carrying a lot.

I'm Maura Erin's Mealyley and this is the anxious achiever, the show that looks at the intersection of mental health and work and asks,

how can we do it all better? Today I talk with Dr. Melissa Merrick, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America,

and we talk about ACEs, adverse childhood experiences, and how these ACEs ripple into our

leadership, our health, our well-being, and our ambition.

Aces are common, but they're not destiny. More than two-thirds

of adults report at least one ACE, one adverse childhood experience. And ACEs raise our

risk for mental and physical health issues, but they don't determine our future because protective factors can tip the scales back,

and it's never too late. Melissa and I will talk about the importance of safe, stable,

nurturing relationships and the work that we can do as adults on ourselves with the people we love because ACEs aren't destiny.

Enjoy my conversation with Dr. Melissa Merrick.

Welcome, Dr. Melissa Merrick, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, someone I have known

for a while and admired your work. And thanks for joining.

Oh, thank you, Maura. I've admired yours as well. And so happy to be a conversation with you.

Well, I thought that it would be helpful for folks. A big piece of what you study and what you educate on is the existence of ACEs, adverse childhood experiences.

Correct.

When I learned about ACEs, it really changed my life.

I know for my team as well,

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