Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS) and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. Isaiah 40:31

I published a blog about the above subjects (see J. D. Vance, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), and the Tall Poppy Syndrome). A lot has changed since then, namely, J.D. Vance is now the Vice President of the United States.

ACE is associated with TPS and is important in understanding some cutters’ behavior. Higher ACE scores lead to low self-esteem prompting bad envy and other dark emotions, often ending in TPS.

David Hanscom, M.D.

Dr. Hanscom has been an orthopedic complex spinal deformity surgeon formally based in Seattle, Washington, for over 32 years. He quit his surgical practice in 2019 to focus on teaching people how to break loose from the grip of chronic mental and physical pain – with and without surgery. He is unrelenting in searching for better methods to optimize patient outcomes.

Dr. Hanscom’s insights emerged from his escape from a 15-year ordeal with severe chronic pain. He began sharing his approaches with his patients and a predictable learning sequence evolved. This resulted in The DOC (Direct your Own Care) Journey. The DOC Journey is the self-directed action plan of his book, Back in Control: A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain.

In the early 1980s, David was one of my students in orthopedic residency. We published a peer-reviewed scientific article in one of our prestigious orthopedic journals. After training he went his separate way.

Nearly 40 years later we reconnected. We had retired from orthopedic surgery and were following new directions. Dr. Hanscom was investigating chronic pain and aiding others in its management while I was exploring psychosocial interactions regarding TPS. Little did we know our paths would cross.

Podcasts

Shortly after our reunion, David hosted two podcasts with yours truly regarding TPS and ACE.

Other Collaborations

Thereafter, we did a two-part radio interview with Brian Reynolds of KCBX FM Central Coast Public Radio which was embedded in our recent blog (see Anger, Tall Poppy Syndrome, and Schadenfreude – The Luigi Mangione Story).