It can be difficult for some people to understand and acknowledge the emotional scars that childhood trauma may have left them with.

But according to Dr. Pete, a renowned TikTok pediatrician, recognizing and addressing these issues can begin with answering a 10-step questionnaire. 

He says that taking the test, known as the Adverse Childhood Experiences Score (ACE), can be a critical step toward healing and recovery. 

Note: please always seek your own medical advice.

Taking to TikTok, Dr. Pete posted the now-viral clip and it has so far amassed over 7.3 million views. 

“I’m going to ask you 10 questions about your childhood and your answers are going to reveal how traumatic your childhood was,” he begins.

He then instructs the viewers to “think about your childhood up until your 18th birthday” when completing the test.

If the answer is ‘yes’ to a question, you get one point. 

Question number one is, “Did a parent or other adult in your home often or very often swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you or act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?”

The next question is, “Did you often or very often feel that no one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special or your family didn’t look out for you, feel close to each other, or support each other?”

“Did you often feel that you didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, have no one to protect you, or had parents that were too drunk or high to take care of you?” is the next one.

The fourth question reads: “Were your parents ever separated or divorced?”

The fifth question asks, “Was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide?”

Question six is, “Did you live with anyone who has a problem with drinking or alcohol or who used street drugs?”

“Did a parent or other adult in your house often or very often push, grab, slap or throw something at you or hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?” the seventh question says.

Then the next one is, “Did an adult or a person at least five years older than you ever touch or fondle you or have you touched their body in a sexual way or attempt to have sex with you.”

The second last question is: “Was your mother/father or step-parent often or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at them or kicked bitten or hit, or repeatedly threatened?”

Then finally, “Did a household member go to prison?”

Dr. Pete explains that if you scored a 0, you likely don’t have any negative effects from your childhood. 

If you scored a one-three, you have minimal effects. 

And if you scored four or higher, that’s when there can be more serious consequences to your health.

In a follow-up video, he explains exactly what those consequences are and your statistical chance of experiencing them, but please seek your own medical advice if you’re looking to get diagnosed.

He adds that it’s important to note that a lot of these factors that contribute to childhood trauma are “external to a child, things that they are not in control of but that they’ve internalized.”

These things can still affect people throughout their childhood, teenage years, and adult life.

“This is why it’s so important to take care of our children during their formative years because they are not always in control over their lives.

“That’s why we all have to work together to create a world and policies to protect children and prevent the abuse of them and their surroundings so that they can have a fruitful life and we can alter their trajectory and the people they interact with and of course, the future.”