"The most important public health study you've never heard of."  That's what the Huffington Post calls the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study.   Back in the 90's, the Centers for Disease Control surveyed more than 17,000 adult participants, studying the correlation between childhood trauma and adult medical conditions.

We all understand that if you've had a traumatic childhood, you'll probably have an emotional and psychological price to pay in adulthood.  But the ACE study showed that childhood emotional trauma has an enormous impact on adult physical health as well.   

The survey is a very simple 10-item yes-or-no questionnaire that's free, and takes just a few minutes to fill in.  A score of 4 or above puts you at increased risk for depression, substance dependency, and other illnesses like heart disease, obesity, and even cancer.  And a score of 6 or more?  Well, then your life expectancy is cut by 20 years.  Scary.