and also higher risk for diseases in adulthood like chong obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease which is the number one killer in the united states. >> you're saying exposure to these stresses at a younger age can take years off a person's life when they grow up as well? >> absolutely. there have been some major research studies that have shown that folks who are exposed to adversity in childhood have increased risk of chronic disease in adulthood. and in fact, those in the major study that was done, between kaiser and the centers for disease control and prevention, those people who were exposed to six or more of these adverse childhood experiences had a 20-year difference in life expectancy. >> wow. what you're describing sounds a bit like post-traumatic stress disorder which we hear about in veterans coming back from iraq and afghanistan. two questions. is that what we're talking about in these young people? and is it as hard to reverse in kids and teens and young adults as it is in veterans? >> i would say it's a little bit -- what we're talking about is different from post-t