The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma and Adversity—A Transformative Guide to Understanding Childhood Trauma and Health

by Nadine Burke Harris

Lots of things can damage the telomeres and lead to premature cellular aging, but chronic stress is a big one. When a cell becomes old or dies, it’s not the end of the world, but if there is too much cell death in one place, it can lead to poor health. For instance, if there is too much cell death in the pancreas, you won’t be able to make enough insulin, which can lead to diabetes. The response a cell can have to damaged and shortened telomeres other than senescence is that it can become precancerous or cancerous. When that happens, it means the ability of the cell to copy its DNA correctly has been compromised, and it begins coding for mutations that say, “Keep making cells forever!” This causes the cells to replicate uncontrollably and grow into a tumor that continues to grow and grow and grow. Simply put, if there is too much damage to your telomeres and they become excessively shortened, it can lead to premature cellular aging and disease or cancer.