In this powerful episode, we welcome Dr. Alman, co-creator of the groundbreaking ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study, to discuss trauma, betrayal, and the path to healing. Dr. Alman shares insights from decades of work with Kaiser Permanente and explains why all trauma contains elements of betrayal. 

Key Topics Discussed 

The Origins of the ACE Study 

• How the study began through Kaiser Permanente's weight loss program 

• Dr. Alman's work with patients trying to lose 50-200+ pounds 

• The surprising discovery that successful weight loss patients were gaining weight back 

• Collaboration with Dr. Felitti and Dr. Robert Anda to develop the 10 core questions 

Understanding Trauma and Betrayal 

• Core principle: All trauma is betrayal - it involves people we trusted who didn't have our backs 

• Trauma comes from family members, partners, friends, grandparents, or anyone we depended on 

• The weight-protection mechanism: How people use weight to protect themselves from harm 

The 10 Core ACE Questions (and Beyond) 

• The original 10 questions identify the most common childhood traumas 

• Sexual abuse: Found in close to 60% of women in the weight loss program 

• Neglect: Particularly common among men whose fathers were absent or overworked 

• The list is not exhaustive - many other traumas exist 

• The 11th and 12th Questions-important inclusions to access additional information 

The Inner Critic Problem 

• The perfectionist inner judge that becomes a "lifetime member" of your psyche 

• How childhood conditioning creates an inner critic that fights with our emotions 

• The futility of trying to eliminate the inner critic 

• Why therapy alone often isn't enough to resolve this internal conflict 

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