Why Healing Is an Economic Necessity: A Deep Dive into Episode 6

Today’s episode is a little different—but it’s one I believe is critical.

We're talking about something many of us don’t realize until it’s too late: the financial and societal cost of unresolved trauma. And yes, I mean real dollars. But also the cost in lost potential, strained relationships, and the weight so many of us silently carry.

This is not just a personal issue—it’s a societal one. One we cannot afford to ignore.

Transcript

Renata Ortega:
  Hello, and welcome back to Cycle Breaker and Change Maker. I’m your host, Renata Ortega—and if you’re here today, I know you care deeply about healing. Not just for yourself, but for those who will come after you. Today’s episode is a little different—but it’s one I believe is critical.

We're talking about something many of us don’t realize until it’s too late: the financial and societal cost of unresolved trauma. And yes, I mean real dollars. But also the cost in lost potential, strained relationships, and the weight so many of us silently carry.

This is not just a personal issue—it’s a societal one. One we cannot afford to ignore.

Why This Matters Now

Let’s zoom out.
  Imagine being a child trapped with an abusive caregiver during the pandemic. No school. No reprieve. Nowhere to run. No safe adults. That was the reality for too many children. And the effects of those lockdown years? We’re just beginning to see them now—emotionally, socially, and economically.

We often wait until someone is in crisis before we act. But by then the damage is done. We pay in ER visits, legal fees, lost workdays, rising crime, and generational pain. It’s time we stop asking “what’s wrong with them?” and start asking “what happened to them?”
  And more importantly—“what are we going to do about it now?”

The Financial Numbers (That Might Shock You)

Let’s look at the numbers for a moment.

●       In 2018, the estimated annual cost of child abuse in Canada was $23 billion.
 
 

●       In the United States, that number was $2 trillion.
 
 

●       In 2023, a study estimated that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) cost the U.S. healthcare system alone $14 trillion in long-term effects.
 
 

These aren’t emotional numbers. These are cold, hard costs—measured in dollars spent on healthcare, courts, lost productivity, mental health treatment, and social services. And it’s worth noting: these are conservative estimates, because not every case gets reported. Not every story gets told.

Now imagine the cost in countries without the infrastructure we have. It’s staggering.

Why Isn’t This a Bigger Deal?

That’s what baffles me.

We finally declared intimate partner violence an epidemic. But what about the children growing up in those households? What about the emotional inheritance they receive? Why aren’t we treating that like an emergency?

Where are the wide-scale awareness campaigns? Where are the prevention programs baked into school curriculums? Where is the funding to break the cycle before it’s passed on?

Instead, trauma gets hidden behind closed doors, silenced by shame, or labeled as a “personal issue.” But unresolved trauma doesn’t stay personal—it spills into classrooms, workplaces, marriages, parenting, and the justice system.

The Personal Cost: My Story

I know the price of unresolved trauma firsthand.

Healing from my own childhood abuse has taken years. It’s required therapy, medical support, deep inner work, and endless trial and error. None of it was cheap. None of it was easy. There were times I wanted to walk away. And many do—because it’s just too hard.

But I also know this: the cost of not healing is far, far greater.

If I hadn’t started the process of healing, I wouldn’t be here with you. I wouldn’t have become a cycle breaker. I wouldn’t be raising my child in a home where peace is the norm—not the exception.

Breaking the Cycle Is the Most Cost-Effective Solution We Have

What’s the alternative?

●       More overwhelmed social workers
 
 

●       More burnout in our healthcare systems
 
 

●       More incarceration, poverty, and addiction
 
 

●       And more children growing up to silently repeat the pain of the generations before them
 
 

That is the real cost of doing nothing.

But here's the good news: healing is contagious.
  When one person breaks the cycle, they change the course of generations.
  When one school teaches emotional literacy, it can shift an entire community.
  When one policy is rooted in compassion instead of punishment, we see real change.

How You Can Help—Yes, You

So what do we do about it?

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Start talking about this. Share this episode. Use your voice. Silence helps no one.
    
    
2. Support trauma-informed initiatives. Whether it’s a school program, a shelter, or a podcast like this one—support matters.
    
    
3. Invest in your own healing. You breaking your cycle is a contribution to the collective. It matters more than you know.
    
    

A Final Thought

Every time we ignore trauma, we let it grow stronger.
  Every time we downplay the damage done to children, we gamble with their futures.
  And every time we call healing “too expensive,” we fail to see that not healing is what costs us everything.

If you’re listening to this, you’re already part of the solution. Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep learning. And let’s fund healing—not just talk about it.

Until next time—stay kind, stay brave, and keep breaking the cycle.