For many of us, especially adults, a favorite pastime is to
looking through old photo albums. While older adults enjoy “leafing through” prints in old photo albums, younger adults and adolescents "flip through” their digital albums on their hand-held devices.
Regardless of our method, our photo collections bring many memories—some good,
some not so good! In fact, some children
and adults try to blank out bad memories of experiences that have
left deep emotional or even physical scars on their lives. Experts in child health and education consider the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) and the resulting
emotional dysfunction as a major health crisis in America and worldwide.
In Part 1 of "Minding Our Children" (
Click HERE), we discussed the necessities that each child should receive in order to grow and
mature physically, mentally, and emotionally.
As the child’s body, mind, will, and emotions mature in a healthy way,
they work together to shape the heart of the child as a person preparing to
navigate life’s challenges. The child’s physical, emotional, and
spiritual health continue to mature under good parenting in a stable home life,
and by formal education that complements what the child learns at home. While young children cannot decide their
heredity or environment, both of these are important determinants of health and
character. Many children inherit
unfavorable genetic traits which may be compounded by adverse childhood experiences
(ACE’s) which, in turn, impact physical and emotional health, ability to think,
make good choices, and learn. Although God’s Spirit can override our
flesh and its limitations, humanly speaking ACE’s can rob anyone of the mental
and emotional health necessary to surrender and walk within the power of the
Spirit of God.
Having pointed out the serious and widespread problem of adverse childhood
experiences and the associated theory and selected terminology in Part
1, we now turn from theory to practical application and
solutions to the problem. Here we offer personal
experience and insights through an interview with a man who has personal and
professional experience with the effects of ACE’s on the quality and longevity
of life.
Interview with Robb Fogg
My friend and brother in Christ, Robb Fogg, is a veteran biology teacher in southwest
Ohio. Our interview format below is a composite of numerous conversations
with Robb about how he and his wife, MaryEllen have addressed his personal
challenges that have resulted from many adverse childhood experiences. We will also discuss how God has been using
his experience with HPA-D to launch a multifaceted program to address this widespread
problem among children and adults.
[JOHN ●] Robb, thank you for co-authoring with
me on Part 1, and taking time for this interview. We want to hear from you as a teacher whose
love and compassion for his students and their families has moved you and your
wife MaryEllen toward a full-scale effort to provide a way out of the mental,
emotional, and spiritual confusion and anxiety so common among students and
families.
[ROBB ●] Thank you for the opportunity to share
what God has been showing me through my own life experience and through my teaching
and research.
[●] First, give us a brief sketch of personal experience
God has provided for you which has led up to the Community Health Initiative
that you, MaryEllen, and colleagues now lead?
[●] When I entered the learning community at Cedarville
University and you, Doc, became my academic advisor, I came from a very
challenging childhood. Looking back with
what I have learned since then, I was the owner of the incredibly high ACE
Score of 13! In retrospect, I now
believe I am a perfect example of the truth that “with God, all things are
possible (Matthew 19: 26).” By God’s
grace and love extended through the campus community and my church, I graduated
with a degree in biological science education.
For the past 28 years, I’ve been teaching biology. Most of those years I tried to engage my
students from a social-practical perspective--Biology is life! Living it, exploring it, enjoying the wonder
right under our noses. But, right under
my nose, and within my skin, was a load of biological dysfunction and hypervigilance
that was dominating me and keeping me from realizing how much it was affecting
me and my family. Like many polarized-thinking
people, I could see my problem but I couldn’t solve it by myself.
[●] How did you begin to make sense of your
dysfunction?
[●] Six years ago, MaryEllen and I were talking about a difficult
experience I had as a child. She said to
me, "If you could go back in time what would you tell yourself?" I
began to do the research and for the next 6 years, MaryEllen helped me process
the research at a personal level. When I
began to understand the extensive problems that my dysfunction can cause, I
realized how much it had affected me and my family across our lifetimes. I also found evidence that HPA-Dysfunction is
passed on genetically to seceding generations.
This is termed epigenetic
inheritance. Epigenetic
inheritance occurs through environmental influence upon cytoplasmic components
that regulate how our inherited genes (DNA) are expressed during development of
our offspring. Once I saw that I could
reset my own HPA-Axis initially through drinking enough water (hydration) and Navy Seal breathing
techniques, things just started falling into place and I began trying to
present my findings to my students, family, and friends.
[●] Were there any other influences on
your thinking? [●] Yes, besides the loving encouragement of MaryEllen, I was
also influenced by a TED Talk by pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, in 2014 (How
Childhood Trauma Affects Health across a Lifetime). I would highly recommend that your readers take
time to watch this excellent 15-minute talk.
It could revolutionize to your thinking as it did mine.
[●] As a biology teacher you began to understand
how ACE’s were hindering your students’ learning and flourishing. How prevalent are these negative effects among
students?
[●] According to my research, inner city students had ACE Scores
of 8 or above. One researcher reported
that an ACE score of 6 correlates with PTSD. Events like the COVID pandemic, inflation, hurricanes,
and urban unrest are known to increase students’ ACE Scores. Occurrence
of HPA-Dysfunction increases as you go from upper (5%) to middle (15-20%) to
lower socioeconomic class (50-80%).
[●] In simple terms, can you explain
how chronic stress leads to HPA-Dysfunction and the resultant behavioral outcomes
you have observed?
[●] Thank you. Our neurohormonal system is incredibly complex
and when a person’s stress becomes repeated and excessive, the system becomes
dysregulated. In his book, The Body
Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel van
der Kolk M.D clearly explains our brain’s response to chronic stress; namely, the
left side of the brain largely goes offline or becomes dysregulated. It loses the ability to solve problems. At the same time, the right side can identify
the problems but has no solutions except to stir the emotions and feed messages
to the adrenal gland which churns out adrenaline. For obvious reasons, this condition is called
“making your own coffee.” The responses
to the excess adrenaline are anger, anxiety, and energy expenditure. Another byproduct of HPA-D is cortisol which
interferes with sleep, creates insulin resistance, and can cause body wide
inflammation that often leads to leaky gut.
I believe we have listed numerous other physiological and behavioral
consequences of HPA-dysregulation.
[●] Your thesis is that HPA Dysfunction
is tied to poor physical health and lifestyle.
What particular nutritional and lifestyle factors are you targeting?
[●] Each person who
enrolls in our “Acorns to Oaks” program to address HPA-D and hypervigilance
must first register by completing our “Intake Form.” Then, when they complete our “Daily Health
Survey,” they will be introduced to five biological baselines and given
a score for each baseline based on the health status data they provided in the
Survey. Each enrollee is then given
access to our unique interactive tracker according to their current scores
for each of the baselines. The five
baselines are as follows: Hydration, Nutrition, Sleep, Breath, and Play. As enrollees make
progress in improving their baselines, they will be able to see their scores
with color coding on their own personal “Life Fuel Dashboard” accessed through
their acornoasis.com phone app.
Because God created us for relationships, with Him and with our fellow human
beings, we have designed our habit tracker so that individuals can progress
through the program in the context of families, teams, and communities. For
example, each parent can have his or her own dashboard and can see his son or
daughter’s dashboard. This unique
perspective allows a parent to support the underlying biological stress rather
than react negatively to the son or daughter’s dysfunctional behavior.
[●] Do you think
children’s medical centers are making progress in research and clinical
treatment of HPA-dysfunction in children? [●] Reports of mental health crisis in our children are dominating the
news. Addressing mental health is in the
top three health concerns in all medical centers nationally. Professionals across the health industry are
reporting a desperate need for something to stem the tide of poor mental health
outcomes and suicides. A nurse who works
in a children’s hospital told me that their staff is so overwhelmed with this
problem among children that they are trying to treat the secondary effects of
stress instead of addressing the cause.
The HPA-D has the children totally filled with anxiety and they don't
know why. This nurse stated that our approach
will help dysfunctional individuals regain their sensory bearings.
[●] As men of faith, you and I would
agree that God’s Spirit and Word can overcome mental and emotional hindrances
to a person’s repentance and acceptance of God’s gift of salvation through
Christ’s death and resurrection. But do you ever think that you are
inviting hurting people to bypass repentance and spiritual courses of action?
[●] Doc
this is a great question! I would take it back one step and consider that the
total dysregulations caused by HPA-D hinder people from getting a good look at
the loving offer God makes through his Son. The dysregulations of HPA-D dampen the senses
and interfere with a person's ability to make sense of abstract ideas. As Christians, we understand that saving faith
in Christ comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:
17). But, consider how abstract the
following statement of the Christian Gospel might sound to someone unfamiliar
with ideas of Christianity: An
all-powerful being entered our timeline, took on the biology of His own
creation, arranged to be the ransom payment, was killed and came back to life
in order that all mankind might have life, for all time, for anyone who would
call on his name. Abstract, right?
What’s more, Jesus challenges His would-be followers to do more than “know the
Scriptures” or “know about Him.” He
wants us to know Him deeply and personally! To do this requires more than just to “know
the Scriptures” or to “know about Him.” Jesus
said, If you continue in (remain in, think deeply about) My word,
then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free (John 8: 31-32).” Isaiah
26: 3 promises that God will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
on Him.
But HPA-D prevents the “quiet mind,” one necessary to contemplate abstract spiritual
things. It is like the static of radio entering
your thoughts. The higher your ACE Score,
the louder the static interference.
Depression is showing up as people are having a harder time quieting
their thoughts. Hypervigilant people constantly
process threats making abstract constructs challenging. The Apostle Paul wrote that Satan, the god
of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not
see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2
Corinthians 4: 4). In contrast, “God is
not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14: 33).” God arranges the details in our life path so
that we might reach out to Him. He
did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find
him, though he is not far from each one of us (Acts 17: 27).”
As a small boy under so much stress I reached out for God as if reaching for a light
switch in a dark room. I found Him and
he found me. Now, God is giving MaryEllen
and I the motivation and enough understanding of biology and faith to be ambassadors
to those He is calling into His Kingdom.
[●] So, I’m thinking
that when a person is burdened with shame and other negative emotions, they may
be less likely to seek spiritual help.
Am I right?
[●] You
are right! Let's assume that you are
experiencing dysregulations to some degree, and that you are trying to stop
drinking or trying to live a pure life.
You go to the spiritual leaders for help and you bear your soul to receive
spiritual counseling. But you gain no insight
on how to turn off the biochemical effects of the HPA-D. You may decide, along with many others, that
you will stop bringing your missteps into public view. The idea of accountability and self-discipline
within a spiritual context doesn't seem to work. People walk away from the faith community
because of the incongruence of the situation.
If someone chides you in the process, can you understand the added
discouragement you would experience.
People leave the church.
Since using our method, I have found that my mind is more at peace because it
doesn’t race as much. I can turn off my
racing thoughts and enjoy what is happening in the present. I don’t worry about the past or the future
because God provides what we need each day.
When I turn on the left side of my brain, I am able to process Life in
the Spirit the way God intends. In other
words, by following our disciplined program to improve the five baselines, we can
restore peace of mind, order to our thinking, and Joy in our hearts. Philippians 4: 4-7 instructs the
Christ-follower to Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice…Be
anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.
The fruit of the Holy Spirit is among other things Joy! But HPA-D chemically dampens the feeling of Joy. In place of Joy, hormonal dysregulation
causes anger, anxiety, selfishness (hypervigilance), self-doubt, loneliness,
road rage and even the feeling of shame.
Learning to reset my HPA-D allows me to have a greater biochemical and
spiritual capacity for Love, Joy, and Peace.
[●] What advice would
you give to pastors and lay leaders?
[●] Having
been a pastor, I know the overwhelming feeling of trying to help people
overwhelmed with family malfunctions.
Families, especially if a parent or parents suffered as children, are in
a very difficult situation. Spiritual
Leaders in our community need to empower our families to establish strong
mental health habits by establishing our biological baseline.
When a family enrolls in our “Acorns to
Oaks” program and takes our “Daily Health Survey” they can identify the
baseline issues and take positive steps themselves. The parent can view a summary of their
children’s biological baselines so the parent can help the child work toward a
more homeostatic life-style. You can see that our approach gives a community a
tool to quickly identify the underpinnings of extensive malfunctions and
provide practical solutions. [CLICK on the graphic to enlarge.]
As I noted above, the church must adopt a more Christ-like compassion toward
those who have given up on themselves and the church, and are suffering in
emotional paralysis, addiction, and shame.
You and I have discussed the compassionate way in which Almighty God
extended comfort to the Prophet Elijah when he was on empty physically,
emotionally, and spiritually. God addressed each of these needs beginning with
Elijah’s need for bread and water (1 Kings 19).
[●] Yes, and the same God came in the flesh as Christ, the Messiah. He gave us a model of comfort when he began a conversation with a hypervigilant, rejected, Samaritan woman who had had five husbands and was at the time in a live-in situation (John 4). Jesus didn't come to her with a prescription from the Holy Scriptures even though they do have the answers. Instead, He asked her for something that she had come to the well to get-- something which He knew she needed in both the physical and spiritual sense--water! By starting the conversation around His own basic physical need as a man, God in human flesh, Jesus was able to lead Her to "living water." When she believed and drank of this "living water" spiritually, her life began to be spiritually transformed. This hypervigilant, rejected, Samaritan woman then cried out, "Come see the Man who told me all about myself!"
[●] Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman with compassion and empathy. Beyond these, He COM+FORTED her, meaning "to COME with ‘FORT-ification’ of faith for a path forward.” You and I have referenced a passage from 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 which means so much to both of us. Here, God invites the anxious and distressed to receive His abundant comfort through our Comforter (John 16:7). Notice the highlighted phrases:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction
so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction
with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Our Community Health Initiative depends upon our knowledge and technology, but we will fail if we don't reach out to distressed people with the comfort of Christ.
[●] Amen! And I believe the story you and MaryEllen
are writing is clearly Spirit-led. You
thank God for calling you out of spiritual and emotional dysfunction, and yet
we can see that God also used the compassion and comfort of MaryEllen. I can see how this same spirit is being multiplied through your Community
Health Initiative--an integration of
faith and science, powered by God’s Spirit who guides with the Light from God’s
Word and wise application of the biological and behavioral sciences.
[●] Thank you.
That sums it up very well.
[●] In spite of your offering of
a positive, proactive, faith-science based program of community health, why is there still institutional and social reluctance and resistance to your
program?
[●] “Adverse childhood experiences are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today” according to Dr. Robert Block, American Association of Pediatrics (2017). The implications clearly extend beyond health to education, public safety, and our economy. So why is it unaddressed? I believe there are at least five resistances to progress:1) Social resistance--Facing the notion of childhood stress is not very popular; yet this is the cause of HPA-D.2) Hypervigilance often makes a person extremely defensive against efforts to help them.3) Allostatic load drains energy and hampers the problem-solving part of the brain.4) The church has “spiritual answers” but needs to follow Christ’s example of ministry to the “whole person.”5) The medical health establishment is too focused on high tech and pharmaceutical approaches to simply prescribe personal discipline of attaining quantifiable baselines: water, good nutrition, breathing, sleep, and play.
[●]
Would you elaborate on the apparent resistance from the medical community?
[●] Sure. Nadine Burke uses the contaminated well example: “You can write prescriptions for 100 cases of diarrhea or you can go find out what's in the well.’’ Instead of treating the symptoms, our approach addresses the base biological malfunctions. Thus, by turning off the negative effects of HPA-D it reduces the hormonal dysfunctions and the subsequent physiological miscues. For example, simply helping a person reach quantifiable hydration baseline relieves headache, brain fog, and constipation. Or consider our breathing baseline--on three separate occasions we lowered blood pressure from 220/180 to 140/80 within two minutes in response to Navy Seal Breathing Techniques.focused on high tech and pharmaceutical approaches to simply prescribe personal discipline of attaining basic baselines: water, good nutrition, breathing, sleep, and play.
[●]
Thank you, Robb; and please
thank MaryEllen for sharing you with me for this interview. I understand that your goal is to put an
upgraded system into every school in a 5-state area. Students could come and take the “Daily
Health Survey” and begin to work with their biological baselines using the
“Life Fuel Dashboard” to help them identify some of the root causes of their
out-of-control feelings.
[●] That is our goal. We
estimate the price tag on this data machine is $100,000. We are currently seeking funds and expertise
to help us put this community resource into play.
But, as we said earlier, our leading edge must be in the power and wisdom of God, delivered with His comforting Spirit. I want
to comfort others in their affliction with the comfort with which I was
comforted. Our invitation is open! Visit us at “Acorns to Oaks” (Click HERE.)
NOW, READERS' TURN:
We have discussed the alarming
prevalence and consequences of adverse childhood experiences among adolescents,
young adults, and parents. Robb Fogg has
launched a multi-faceted program to address HPA Dysfunction and to bring
freedom and restoration to those locked in a cycle of cognitive, emotional, and
spiritual turmoil.
If you or someone you know appears to be struggling under the effects of
dysfunction and wants to find help, we urge you to avail yourself of Robb’s
Beta Test using the following links:
Click HERE to Enroll in the Beta
Testing
Click HERE for “Negative Effects of HPA Dysfunction,” by Robb
Fogg
Click HERE for a video explaining
Hormonal Malfunctions
Finally, we hope you sense that we have a personal interest in helping those
who are struggling. We urge you to share
your experiences, questions, and ideas using the “Comment” link below. Your
insights and experiences that will further add to the value of this discussion.
You may also e-mail us at silviusj@gmail.com . To contact or offer
financial support or expertise to Robb Fogg, please contact him at robb@10000atoms.com
