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Trauma’s Toll: The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Autoimmune Disease

November 2, 2024
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In recent years, the scientific community has focused more on the importance of the mind-body connection. This led to insights into how early life experiences shape our overall well-being, including the link between childhood trauma and autoimmune disease. Pain and harm within formative relationships and experiences can negatively impact more than an individual’s mental and emotional health. It can also lead to lasting effects on their physical health.

While we’ll explore this relationship here and refer to related research, it’s important to note that the idea of the mind-body connection is not a new concept. Indigenous communities and different cultures across the globe have long-standing traditions of centering the connection of the mind, body, and spirit within their healing practices and beliefs.

Understanding Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, believing them to be foreign cells. There are over 80 types of autoimmune disorders, but common ones include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s disease, and type 1 diabetes. These conditions can lead to a variety of symptoms, such as fatigue, joint pain, skin problems, and organ dysfunction, significantly impacting daily life.

They often present with periods of flare-ups and remissions, affecting an individual's ability to perform routine activities and diminishing their quality of life. Early diagnosis and effective management are crucial for mitigating symptoms and improving overall well-being.

What is Childhood Trauma?

Childhood trauma refers to early adverse experiences that can have long-lasting effects. This includes but is not limited to:

Everyone experiences and responds to trauma in their own way. We each have different levels of protective factors that may increase our resiliency. However, there are common long-term effects of childhood trauma that show the profound impact it can have on one’s mental and physical well-being, including:

Close-up Photo of Sad Child leaning on a Wooden Chair suffering of childhood trauma

The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Autoimmune Disease

The connection between childhood trauma and autoimmune disease is a complex and important aspect of health. Early life stress and adversity can deeply impact the immune system, potentially leading to the development of autoimmune disorders later in life. Research has found that traumatic stress in childhood increases the likelihood of hospitalization with a diagnosed autoimmune disease in adulthood.

Understanding this link opens the door to more effective, trauma-informed care that holistically addresses the repercussions of childhood trauma. It also connects survivors to education and coping strategies that can improve their health and quality of life.

The Stress Response System

The body's stress response system, also known as the “fight-or-flight response”, is a natural reaction to perceived threats. When your brain detects danger, it signals the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, preparing the body to either confront or escape the threat. Some people may also experience the "freeze" response, where they become immobilized, or the "fawn" response, where they try to appease the source of the threat.

These acute stress responses are essential for survival. However, chronic stress can be detrimental to your health. Early trauma can cause long-term changes in how the body responds to stress, creating a constant state of hypervigilance.

Prolonged exposure to stress hormones can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to illnesses and diseases, including autoimmune conditions.  Early trauma often results in chronic stress, which leads to prolonged activation of the body's stress response system. This continuous release of stress hormones can impair immune function and promote inflammation.

Inflammation and Immune Dysregulation

Inflammation is a key factor in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases. Typically, inflammation helps the body fight infections and heal injuries. However, persistent stress and trauma can lead to chronic inflammation, which disrupts normal immune function. Over time, this can cause the immune system to mistakenly attack the body's own tissues.

Childhood trauma can also cause changes in gene expression (epigenetics). This involves changes in gene activity without altering the DNA sequence, often influenced by environmental factors like trauma. It impacts how your body functions, including how your immune system works, leading to health issues like autoimmune diseases.

Implications for Treatment and Prevention

Understanding the link between childhood trauma and autoimmune diseases opens avenues for targeted therapeutic approaches and medical treatments.

Mental Health Treatment

Trauma-focused therapy can help individuals understand, process, and heal from traumatic experiences, reducing the mental, emotional, and physical impacts of trauma. Techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are examples of effective treatment in alleviating symptoms of PTSD and related stress disorders. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is another trauma treatment that focuses on bodily sensations and responses to trauma, helping individuals release and regulate the physical and emotional effects of trauma. A comprehensive treatment plan will include strengthening your coping strategies and distress tolerance.

Medical Management

Integrative approaches to treating autoimmune diseases involve combining medical treatments with complementary approaches that increase stress management and healthy coping strategies. You and your provider can discuss medication options needed to treat and manage your autoimmune disease and inflammation.

Addressing trauma in medical settings is also crucial. Look for a provider who recognizes the impact of trauma on health and tailors treatments to meet your needs as a survivor. Addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of autoimmune diseases, increases the likelihood of better health outcomes and improved overall well-being.

Questions to Ask a Potential Health Care Provider

When you’re searching for a new provider, whether they are a therapist, primary care physician, or medical specialist, you want to know if they are a good fit for you. The questions below can help you determine whether a clinician is equipped to support you effectively, understands the nuances of trauma, and integrates the mind-body connection into their practice.

  1. Can you describe your experience and training in treating patients with a history of trauma?
  2. What is your approach to trauma-informed care, and how do you ensure that your treatment is sensitive to a patient's trauma history?
  3. How do you assess the impact of trauma on a patient’s physical and mental health?
  4. How do you create a safe and trusting environment for patients who have experienced trauma?
  5. How do you incorporate the mind-body connection into your treatment plan?
  6. How do you involve patients in their own healing process, especially those with trauma histories?
  7. How do you handle situations where a patient's past trauma is triggered during treatment?
  8. Are you open to collaborating with my other health care providers?

How to Cope With Childhood Trauma and Autoimmune Disease

Each person is unique in how they process and cope with trauma and how they manage chronic illness. Try different strategies until you figure out which ones work best for you. A trauma therapist can help you explore and practice different tools.

Person sitting on a chair inside working on Psychological Strategies for childhood drama in seattle.

Psychological Strategies

  1. Attend Trauma Therapy: Engage in trauma-focused therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic experiencing, EMDR, or other trauma-informed approaches.
  2. Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices can help you manage stress and increase emotional resilience. Tons of free deep breathing exercises and guided meditations can be found on YouTube and various smartphone apps.
  3. Grounding Techniques: Use grounding techniques to stay present and manage anxiety or flashbacks. This can look like keeping a small object in your pocket or purse that you can focus on when you’re triggered.
  4. Journaling: Write about your experiences, emotions, and coping strategies to process trauma and track your mental health.
  5. Support Groups: Join support groups for trauma survivors or individuals with autoimmune diseases to connect with others who understand your experiences.
  6. Self-Compassion: Practice being as kind and gentle with yourself as you would be with a close friend. Allow yourself to accept your feelings and mistakes.
  7. Identify Flare-Up Triggers: Identify and when possible limit exposure to potential triggers that cause autoimmune flare-ups. For many people, this looks like prioritizing rest and managing stress.
  8. Set Realistic Goals: Create achievable goals for yourself. Take your physical and emotional limitations into account.
  9. Build a Support Network: Develop a network of supportive friends, family, and professionals to help you navigate both trauma and autoimmune disease.

Physical Strategies

  1. Move Your Body: Engage in gentle, regular exercise suitable for your condition, such as walking, yoga, or swimming.
  2. Give Your Body Nutrients: Follow a balanced diet tailored to your autoimmune condition, which may include anti-inflammatory foods and avoiding known triggers.
  3. Prioritize Rest: Ensure you get enough sleep and rest to support both mental and physical health.
  4. Stress Management: Implement stress-reducing activities like deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or tai chi.
  5. Pain Management: Use techniques like heat/cold therapy, massage, or physical therapy as recommended by your healthcare provider to manage chronic pain.

Medical Strategies

  1. Medication Adherence: Follow your prescribed treatment plan for both trauma and autoimmune disease, including medications and any other recommended treatments. Ask your doctor to explore different treatment options with you, so that you can make an informed decision regarding your health.
  2. Regular Check-Ups: Keep up with medical appointments to monitor and manage your autoimmune disease and any related symptoms.

If you’ve endured childhood trauma and are living with an autoimmune disease, know that you are not alone. Many survivors experience the far-reaching impacts of trauma. Finding the right trauma-informed provider, treatment, and coping strategies can greatly help you improve your quality of life.

A familfy sitting on a couch getting help for childhood drama and autoimmune disease in seattle.

Need Support for Childhood Trauma and Autoimmune Disease?

At Existential Psychiatry, you'll receive trauma-informed, holistic care. Whether you need therapy, medication management, diagnostic assessment, or a combination of the three, you'll be heard and empowered throughout the process. Our psychiatrist, Dr. David Zacharias, has provided patient-centered mental healthcare for over 20 years. He’ll collaborate with you to create a treatment plan that addresses each of your unique goals and needs. If you're searching for a compassion clinician to support your healing, please reach out for a free consultation.

Written by Existential Psychiatry Staff

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