Trauma & Chronic Illness

In many mainstream medical settings, the root cause of most mental and physical health conditions is unknown.  Consequently, clinicians tend to administer treatments that aim to control symptoms, rather than addressing the underlying cause.  Examples of some of these conditions include chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, IBS, chronic pain, skin conditions, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and depression.  Conditions such as diabetes, tuberculosis, anaemia and appendicitis are assumed to stem from factors such as cell malfunctions, infections, gene mutations, or inflammation – however, there is no evidence that proves any causal links.  Moreover, most medical studies, particularly of physical disease, do not account for the role of traumatic shock in causing these health difficulties. Therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility that trauma causes these and other conditions.  

In fact, exploring some of the evidence that we do have, suggests that trauma plays a significant role in the development of both mental and physical health issues.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

For example, there is a good body of research that has documented the long-term health and wellbeing  impact of traumatic events on children aged 18 and younger.    ACEs typically include exposure to abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or household substance abuse.  A study by Felitti et al (1998) found that individuals exposed to these types of trauma events showed prevalence of self-harming behaviours, poor self-rated health, severe obesity, and depression.  They also found a strong relationship between rates of traumatic incidents and heart disease, chronic lung disease, liver disease, cancer and skeletal fractures.

A more recent 2024 review of studies also found ACE exposure to be linked to long-term health conditions, risky health behaviours, and other poor health outcomes.  

Stress Studies 

It is widely accepted that chronic stress is harmful to both mental and physical health.  When we investigate further, it also becomes apparent that many stress studies document persistent stress as emerging from exposure to extreme traumatic events.  For example, Dutch Hunger Winter research showed lasting health consequences of famine.  In pediatric endocrinology there have been well documented cases of how severe neglect and prolonged stress has stunted children’s growth, resulting in what is termed as Stress Dwarfism.  

Robert Sapolsky’s research into wild baboons found differing forms of violence to be common among these populations.  Those prone to aggression exhibited higher cortisol levels and increased health risk.  Interestingly, it was also found that TB infected baboons that died were the most aggressive.  

Hans Selye, a pioneer in stress physiology, assessed the impact of administering specific shocks on rats.  He later also studied thousands of cases of war veterans that had been exposed to extreme violence.  His key findings were that chronic stress can result in disease, disability, even premature mortality..

Most of the aforementioned research assesses persistent stress based on cortisol measurements from blood samples.  Assessment of contextual factors documented in these studies highlights the role of traumatic events.  However it is quite possible that trauma may be an underlying factor in other documented cases of chronic stress and dis-ease.  Robert Scares psychological assessments of patients highlighted that the development of PTSD, following minor car accidents, was influenced by historical trauma, for instance.

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

Clinical trials have shown that Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can effectively treat mental and physical health conditions. In addition to this growing body of research, there are also thousands of documented cases in which individuals report healing from a wide range of physical illnesses.

A core principle of EFT is the resolution of chronic emotional distress, often rooted in specific past events, particularly trauma. These case studies offer valuable insights into the connection between unresolved emotional experiences and diverse health outcomes, highlighting the potential role of trauma in physical and psychological well-being.

German New Medicine (GNM) 

Dr Ryke Geerd Hamer studied over 30,000 cases of patients with various types of dis-eases.  Without exception, he found that every single person had experienced an unexpected traumatic shock, prior to the development of the condition.  Dr Hamer obtained this evidence via detailed psychological assessment and brain CT  scans.  Consequently, he formed a verifiable chart mapping the entire dis-ease process.  Impressively, he demonstrated the ability to identify specific traumatic conflicts and the organs affected, simply by reading patient brain CT scans.  

GNM remains controversial for reasons that primarily seem to relate to Hamer’s decision to refuse to treat patients using conventional methods.  Other controversies concern patient choices to reject mainstream medicines, such as chemotherapy treatment.  

However, GNM discoveries can be verified.  Indeed some have replicated the research with consistent results.  

Limitations of Conventional Medicine 

In conventional medicine the aetiology of dis-ease is often a mystery.  Chronic illnesses are chronic because the underlying cause has not been discovered.  Clinicians are often presented with a health problem and they do the best they can to treat symptoms, within constraints provided by guidelines that are dependent upon “evidence-based research”.  However, a lack of mainstream evidence does not mean trauma does not cause dis-ease.  From some of the research highlighted, it certainly suggests this to be the case.  

Importantly, if we struggle with a chronic illness, especially one that cannot be healed with conventional treatments, then do we wait for medical researchers to get sufficient funding to carry out studies to assess this link, or could we conduct our own investigations?  

Healing Through Self-Inquiry

Some ancient Native American tribes had few chronic illnesses and maintained strong physical and social health, without relying on a vast body of clinical trials to inform their health choices.  Similarly, thousands of years ago, Eastern spiritual Teachers taught methods to improve mental, emotional, physical, social and spiritual health.  In the west, it’s taken decades of research just to confirm that mindfulness and a Mediterranean style diet is beneficial. 

Thankfully, a growing body of knowledge sheds light on the impact of trauma, offering valuable guidance to develop insight into our own health.  This  can guide our own personal investigations where we reflect on our personal histories, apply healing modalities to address past or current traumatic stress, and assess changes to our wellbeing. 

Personally, I struggled with chronic health problems that mainstream medicine did not know the cause of nor how to treat.  Fortunately, I was introduced to German New Medicine and EFT, which guided me in identifying and healing the underlying cause (i.e. unresolved emotional distress).  Since resolving this, the conditions have healed completely.  

Exploring Whether Trauma May Underlie a Chronic Illness

My intention is not to discourage you from accessing conventional medicine.  It is to offer an alternative view that attempts to understand what causes dis-ease.  Particularly for individuals that suffer from chronic conditions that cannot be treated or only controlled via conventional approaches.  

If you suspect that unresolved trauma may be partially or entirely contributing to your health conditions, then following are some suggestions to reflect upon: 

1. Do you have a chronic condition that persists despite conventional treatment?
   Trauma might be playing a role. Many chronic conditions, especially those that don’t respond well to mainstream medical approaches, have been linked to psycho-biological stress.  
2. Reflect on past distressing events.
   Ask yourself: “Have I experienced any unexpected, overwhelming events that I didn’t know how to handle?”Traumatic stress can stem from a wide range of experiences, including accidents, breakups, emotional neglect, or even seemingly minor events that felt threatening or deeply upsetting at the time.
3. Consider the timeline of your symptoms.
   When did your symptoms first begin? Were you under significant stress or emotional strain around that time? If your symptoms come and go, notice whether they tend to flare up during or after emotionally challenging periods.
4. Examine your current mental state.
   Do you frequently experience anxiety, chronic stress, or persistent worry? If so, try to identify specific themes or situations that trigger these feelings.
5. Explore mind-body links through tools like German New Medicine.
   Research suggests that specific emotional conflicts may correspond to certain physical conditions. Reviewing the German New Medicine chart might help you identify whether particular unresolved conflicts could be contributing to your symptoms.
6. Try Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
   Apply EFT to areas of emotional or physical distress. If you notice a reduction in symptoms after tapping, it may suggest that unprocessed trauma influencing your physical health.
7. Seek professional support.
   If you suspect trauma may be affecting your health, consider working with a trauma-informed therapist. A skilled professional can help you safely explore and heal unresolved experiences that may be influencing your health and well-being.

Final Thoughts 

Conventional medical research is primarily set up to assess the efficacy of cost-effective interventions, typically to control or manage symptoms. However, it often does not provide answers about the underlying causes of many diseases. This does not mean there is no specific cause. If you are struggling with a chronic condition, I hope the introduction to studies on trauma and stress presented in this article encourages you to reflect on alternative approaches that may help improve your health.

Wishing you health and happiness.  

Sadaf  

🙂