Hi Poppet,

I would have responded but I couldn't find a category for the problem I have that is the same one you have. You know, the one that folic acid helps with?

Hi Pop-star,

Interesting question- All I've read about trauma talks about these as being connected to the trauma, but I must admit I've been skeptical.

Me- I'm a bit of a mess. I've got IBS, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, probable lupus, and my doctor keeps talking about fibromyalgia as well, because anything other than the lightest touch is extremely painful to me. The IBS has been with me the longest- since I was 16, the summer before I started college. For a while, the doctors did lots of tests on me, then told me it was because I was stressed out over college, and then, when it didn't get better after college started, pretty much threw their hands up and told me it was all in my head, which is truly one of the must least-helpful things to hear.

I haven't noticed much difference since starting therapy, but we haven't done that much trauma processing yet either. It would be great if it made a difference. One thing I have noticed is that over the years, I've learned on my own how to keep my IBS at a stable level, and that certain things (such as seeing my father) cause a flare-up.

((Hugs)) to everyone else dealing with these illnesses.

Poppet,
I have allergies and adult onset asthma. The asthma in particular is stress related. For the longest time I had a pattern of the allergies leading to a sinus infection, which would end up as bronchitis, which would lead to a sinus attack. There was a very long span of years (around 10) where I would get sidelined for at least 2-3 weeks every November.

Since doing a lot of healing in therapy, it has gotten a lot better. Partially because I am much better at self-care than I used to be and get to the doctor sooner if I notice a sinus infection. But my asthma in particular has been much more under control. I haven't used steroids in quite a while. All of this was noticeable enough that my husband has commented a number of times.

There is a lot of research out there that proves that long term trauma in childhood had adverse effects on the immune system. The theory is that a traumatized child is constantly pumping way too much cortisol into their systems.

quote:

Selye (1936) has generally been credited with the concept that prolonged or excessive exposure to stress could contribute to the development of a group of specific diseases. These diseases predominantly reflected exposure to elevated levels of adrenal cortical hormones as part of the modulating role of cortisol on the hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis in stress. Thus rats exposed to prolonged and excessive stress developed erosion of the gastric mucosa, atherosclerosis and adrenal cortical atrophy. Other specific pathologic effects of excessive cortisol exposure include immune suppression, elevated serum lipids and atherosclerosis, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, obesity and cognitive/emotional impairment. Many of these effects are now well described in the medical and lay literature as "diseases of stress".

quote:

Among other manifestations, these diseases would at least in part show evidence of abnormal parasympathetic tone, perhaps along with sympathetic vasoconstrictive dystrophic and ulcerative phenomenona. Diseases and syndromes of the gastrointestinal system that fall into this general concept of diseases of trauma include peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohnis disease (regional ileitis) and ulcerative colitis. All reflect organ hypermotility, excessive glandular secretion and in some, ulcerative features. Cardiac syndromes would likely reflect the cardiac abnormalities associated with DVC dominance, and be associated with a variety of tachy- and bradyarrythmias, including those seen in mitral valve prolapse. Bronchial asthma, a syndrome primarily manifested by stress and hyperimmune-induced abnormal organ-specific parasympathetic events (bronchospasm and hypersecretion) has many of the criteria predictable in diseases of trauma. Interstitial cystitis is a condition characterized by pain, spasm and ulceration of the bladder wall, combining the parasympathetic/dystrophic elements of many of these syndromes.

The quote above is from the article The Neurophysiology of Dissociation & Chronic Disease. Its pretty heavy going as its a medical article written for physicians, but it does show the research in this area.

AG

I have some recurring issues that might fall under some of those categories, but like everything weird I experience, I write it off and won't see a doctor for them, since it's not predictable or reproducable for me (probably, yes, stress related). So I didn't think I could really answer the poll, since I have not been "diagnosed" with those issues, despite having things that might fit. Mostly, we are talking stomach and skin issues, though sometimes breathing issues too. And yes, I really never see a doctor about anything other than the skin stuff. Self-care is not my strong point. Skin has gotten better, but not sure if it's related to the TMI stuff below.

One TMI thing I had that wasn't on the list was irregular cycles from around when I became active with H until just recently, on their own without medication for the first time in over a decade, they are coming on their own. They were fully steady the first six or so years, then suddenly not, along with weight gain, skin issues that I never had during puberty. It's not weight related as I have been lighter than this during that time. Hormone related obviously, and stress can affect that. Anyway, I had some indications of pcos in college, but not enough for a diagnosis, but now some of those symptoms are going away and that's one of them. I don't know if that would qualify, though. I waver back and forth between over-pathologizing things and completely ignoring them as relevant, assigning them to "normal" or "abnormal, but just how I am."

Poppet,
How intersting. It didn't dawn on me until I voted that it makes sense. I do have one of the illness' listed and it did get better with therapy. And then I just realized that it got significantly worse recently when I was extremely stressed with the old T stuff, Dad's hear surgery, and now new T rupture.
Hhhmmmm....very intersting!!

Last year I used to get sick a lot . I'm doing a lot of hard work again this year but I don't get sick a lot like I used to last year when the depression and anxiety was probably at its all time high! I used to sleep a lot too. Naps were a daily need for me and lasted about 3 hours at most. I couldn't function if I couldn't sleep during the day. Other than that Im perfectly good and healthy, not too many health issues unless they involve the female kind (curse you periods!!!) bleh. Don't think that's related to therapy though lol.

I dunno. I guess I will elaborate here to see if it fits what you are talking about. I still feel like all this is pretty "normal" for me and I assumed most people go through life with their own set of (perhaps different/individual, but continuous) symptoms that are just a part of how their life is. I guess, I don't know, I still wonder if it is really out of the ordinary? Don't most people have this sort of stuff or other body problems that plague them? I'm not invalidating anyone here, but just asking whether I'm the only one who repeatedly shrugged off multiple physical issues over the years.

Well, reading over the diagnoses more thoroughly, one variant of IBS definitely fits and no amount of dietary change has ever made a long-term difference. I don't know if it's IBS or something else that has most of the exact same symptoms.

And, you know, of course the headaches/migraines and dizzy spells.

And incredible fatigue that just doesn't seem to go away, even when I get a full night's sleep AND a nap, but that's just common with depression, right? Like, there are times H has allowed me to take a two hour nap or sleep in an extra hour or two, and I wake up feeling like, even though I woke up on my own, I could close my eyes and go back to sleep again for hours. That could be any number of problems, though, I think.

My breathing problems are more intermittent (pretty rare, comparatively) and seem to come with a weird dizziness that's kind of like derealization?

Skin, I think it has to just be genetic, but made worse by stress. I have rosacea, onset in mid 20s, and eczema at times. Stress makes both worse. My family has bad skin, easily scarred, psoriasis, etc., so I think my skin issues may mostly be genetic, but exacerbated by stress.

I have some other pains on a regular basis, like my joints hurting or not working properly (my knee doesn't lock in place and I almost fall over), but I had a lot of sports injuries as a kid. And some body memory related pains, I think, that nothing has really ever explained.

Sorry if it's still TMI, but it was really terrifying that becoming active made my cycle irregular, because I was constantly thinking, early on, that we had some sort of unexpected pregnancy related to night-time stuff when protection would be skipped for reasons I didn't understand at the time (this was before getting on the pill). Before that, it was five weeks like clockwork, and after, it would go two or three months, sometimes more, never regular. It randomly went back to normal these past three or four months, but who knows if it will last...

Again, sorry if any of that is TMI.

Hey Pops

I have a bit of everything....at times I get affected by allergies, susceptible to rashes, have joint pain and aches and pains a lot, sometimes get incredible headaches (stress related), I ** probably ** have diabetes or a mild form or about to get it, don't have asthma but when I do get respiratory illnesses - they always turn into infections and sinusitis, bronchitis etc.

Recently my cycle stopped. Just stopped. I freaked out severely - it came back and was stress related.

I am also losing a lot of hair - again stress related (or might be my poor diet at the moment).

I did *** above for the diabetes comment - because I never go to a doctor and refuse to unless I am nearly dying and want to be helped.... I hate them and have a big issue. I currently don't want to know what is wrong with me. Ignorance is bliss.

I have been under huge stress in the last couple of months - that isn't set to change anytime soon - and I can see that the hair loss, irregular / weird cycle, extra aches and pains - are all related to that. All have worsened.

I have always had a high pain threshold and at times in my life can dissociate it away. I had a bout of fibromyalgia / CRPS for nearly a year after a sport injury - and at times in my life have had injuries, surgeries and have felt pain and blocked it out.

Interesting topic.
Somedays

I didn't vote on the poll because I don't have a trauma background.

I do have IBS and allergies, and they do get much worse when I am under stress. Actually if I am under substantial stress, I will start to get all kinds of aches and pains in addition to the GI symptoms, and if it's bad enough I can even start breaking out in hives.

I didn't vote either as I didn't really fit the boxes and don't really have a trauma background - well I don't know.

BLT - oh you reminded me. Yes i am sensitive to IBS issues and yes - I break out in hives or am really susceptible to reactions from insect bites etc.

As i said above - i have a little bit of everything. Bit of an all-rounder really!

Interesting topic. I have much more joint pain since the trauma caused by oldT. There are days when everything just hurts. I also have had IBS for a long time. Sometimes I get this really weird feeling in my face in that the skin hurts and is very sensitive to touch. I have to grit my teeth just to wash my face. I used to get hives occassionally but they are much more frequent since I started therapy. Once during a stressful time with oldT I had them all over my body but usually I get them on my face only, around my eyes or on my cheeks.

I would say that most of these things have gotten worse since I began therapy and definitely since the abandonment trauma from oldT. I hope as I go through the proces and come out on the other side, these symtoms will abate and/or just go away. I can hope.

TN

quote:

you can actually break out in hives?!!!! is that just from stress? or from your allergies? wow! if its just from the stress!

well, it doesn't happen often, maybe less than once a year, and I expect it usually has something to do with allergies also, but I notice it tends to happen more when I'm under a lot of stress. Like there are some foods that I can consume most of the time and be fine, but when I'm under a lot of stress they can cause some kind of reaction.

I think a lot of this stuff is down to how much stress you have and how sensitive your system is to stress. With childhood trauma you're likely to both have a lot of stress and also not handle it well physiologically.

Actually when it comes to stress-related illness, I came out ahead in my family a bit. My dad has arthritis, my mom had migraines for years until she went on a special diet, my first cousin (younger than me) has fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, her mother has loads of food sensitivities, and so on. So I feel like I got off easy with IBS being my only frequent thing, and that has been well managed with diet and body-based therapy such that it rarely has a major impact on my life.

quote:

i wonder what makes us more susceptible to stress and not being able to cope with it?

Oh, well if you've got unresolved trauma, then every time it gets triggered it sends you into flight, flight, or freeze mode, which is major stress, right? And even trying to avoid triggers can be stressful in itself. And then of course if you've had trauma in the first few years of life, it means your nervous system didn't have the chance to fully develop properly and hence will handle stress in an inefficient way where it isn't regulated correctly.

I would highly recommend the book Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky if you're interested in the mind-body connection and the effects of cumulative stress on the body. It's fascinating and the author is really funny.