Alcohol consumption has a similar pattern: those who had suffered sexual abuse were three times more likely to begin drinking in adolescence than were those who had not. For each emotionally traumatic childhood circumstance, there is a two- to threefold increase in the likelihood of early alcohol abuse. “Overall, these studies provide evidence that stress and trauma are common factors associated with consumption of alcohol at an early age as a means to self-regulate negative or painful emotions,”17 write the ACE researchers.
