Men learn how to combat adverse childhood experiences

Paul Attaway teaches a class adverse childhood experiences recovery course at Star Gospel Mission. Photo courtesy of Paul Attaway

Men whose lives have been afflicted by adverse childhood experiences are learning to change their self perception through an evening class at Star Gospel Mission. 

The adverse childhood experiences recovery course is led by community volunteer Paul Attaway. Star Gospel Mission sponsored his certification to teach the course. 

“I am thrilled that Paul has come along to help us,” said Mission Executive Director, the Rev. Dr. Marion Platt. “The course has been very helpful to our Mission guests, who each have a high ACE score.”

What are Adverse Childhood Experiences?

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, describe potentially traumatic events that occur before a person turns 18. Those experiences can include abuse, neglect or family challenges like divorce or caregiver incarceration. 

Research has shown that people with several adverse childhood experiences are at greater risk to encounter challenges as an adult. Those challenges range from chronic health conditions and risky health behaviors like smoking or alcoholism to social outcomes like unemployment. 

The eight-week ACE Overcomers class gives the men living at Star Gospel Mission a chance to break the cycle of stress and trauma that started in their childhood. 

“It gives men the opportunity to unpack what they have experienced in life that has been a factor in leading them to homelessness and substance abuse,” Dr. Platt said. 

Changing Self Perception

As a retired entrepreneur, Mr. Attaway recently relocated to Charleston from Phoenix, Arizona, where he led a church service in a women’s jail for seven years. He was looking for a new ministry opportunity when he met Dr. Platt. 

Mr. Attaway seemed like a good fit to teach the course Dr. Platt wanted to offer Mission guests. 

“The ramifications of challenges men and women face when they’ve grown up in a volatile home life are very real,” Mr. Attaway explained. “The net result of having to grow up in a hostile environment is negative self-talk. You expect the worst, and you beat yourself up for it.” 

The goal of the class is to change the participants’ self perception by changing their reference point. Instead of basing their view of themselves on the sum of their experiences, Mr. Attaway leads them in exercises to reframe their perspective with scripture. 

“Their Creator sees them as holy and righteous, and they should too,” Mr. Attaway said. “That’s a foundational shift for a lot of men. Instead of seeing themselves as flawed, they see themselves as someone the Lord laid down his life for.”

The class couples scientific research with Biblical truths. Men learn to retrain their brains through emotional regulation and spiritual practices. 

Mr. Attaway shares with the Star Gospel Mission community.

“What we are dealing with when we live in this world is a spiritual battle,” Mr. Attaway said. “So we teach them ways to strengthen the spirit, which includes spending time in prayer, reading the Bible and believing that it means what it says.”

The class is one of several Monday evening classes offered to Mission guests. Each teaches different life skills and are often taught by a volunteer from the community.

So far, Mr. Attaway has taught more than half of the course. About 15 men come each week, after a long day at work. With each week, the men are letting their guards down and interacting with the material, Mr. Attaway said.

“And they like what they hear,” he added. “It’s comforting, and it’s uplifting.”

While the terminology is different, Mr. Attaway says he’s been teaching the same themes of grace and unconditional love for a long time. The new material has allowed him to dive deeper into scripture himself in order to teach it well.

“It’s nice to be of use, to share the Gospel and see it well received,” Mr. Attaway said. “It’s a joyful experience.”