Can psychological trauma and issues cause physical ailments? A recent study found a link between psychological and emotional trauma and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) according to a ScienceDaily article. The study is not suggesting that psychological trauma is a sole cause of irritable bowel syndrome, but rather it could contribute to the health condition.
Irritable bowel syndrome is a health condition that is characterized by pain in the abdomen, cramping, bowel movement issues and bloating, according to an article on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website. The ScienceDaily article said that women are more likely to have IBS than men.
The article went on to say that “trauma may sensitize the brain and the gut,” and IBS is thought to be “caused by changes in the nerves and muscles that control sensation and motility of the bowel," supporting a link between trauma and IBS.
“The results of this study indicate that patients with IBS experience or report traumas at a level higher than patients without IBS,” according to the article. Trauma varies from childhood abuse to sexual abuse, and stress has also been linked to irritable bowel syndrome.
While this study suggests psychological trauma could contribute to irritable bowel syndrome, it also brings up the question of what other health conditions could be partially caused, worsened or impacted by psychological trauma.
Mikaya Heart, a life coach and author, said in an email that she believes emotions, thoughts and the body are linked together, since the body is a “specific mass of energy or an energetic field.”
“When a person is recovering from a traumatic experience, there will be emotions and thoughts related to that trauma remaining within that person’s energetic field,” Heart said. “Internal conflict of any kind can result in physical problems; lingering emotions that are not expressed remain held within the energetic body. Toxicity from any source, physical or psychological, can manifest physically and/or psychologically.”
Heart even goes as far to say that all health conditions could technically be linked to mental health issues in some way.
“All physical health conditions have some relationship to psychological issues, and vice versa, but it is not always necessary to address physical issues on a psychological level, or vice versa,” she said.
Brooke Miller, the founder of the website SoapboxTherapy, a counselor, emotional health expert, advice columnist and licensed therapist, said in an email that the mind and body have a connection that is referred to as psychosomatic. In an advice column about the topic of migraines and psychological issues, she suggested that the mind and body do affect one another.
“Sometimes things happen in our lives and feelings come up that are just too much for our mind to process, for numerous reasons—timing, capacity, etc,” Miller said in the column. “But our feelings are meant to be felt, so if our minds won’t or can’t feel them, they drop into our body to get what they need.”
She gives the example of depression and physical issues that can both cause it or be caused by it.
“Instead of attempting to deal with a situation that might make us feel depressed, for example, we can have migraines. Or back pain. Or stomach aches ... And, it can go the other way around,” Miller said. “You can be suffering from depression ... only to come to find out that you’ve actually had something physical going on the whole time, like low thyroid.”
However, she states that this is not always the case and can just occur in some situations.
“Not all physical ailments are overflow from the mind, and not all psychological challenges are overflow from the body,” Miller said. “But, some are. And that’s what psychosomatic is talking about.”
The hard part can be recognizing that this interaction is going on.
“Recognizing a psychosomatic symptom is hard work and takes some major honesty with yourself, but re-directing the symptom from your body back to your mind, then processing through it and allowing it to digest and move on ... so doable ... so worth it,” Miller said.
Dr. Barry Sears, who specializes in diet, hormones and health links and is the author of books like “Enter the Zone,” said in an email that there can be a connection between psychological trauma and physical conditions.
“Psychological trauma induces stress which increases the output of cortisol,” Sears said. “Excess cortisol depresses the immune system, making you more likely to develop chronic disease conditions.”
Sources:
ScienceDaily. Psychological Traumas Experienced Over Lifetime Linked to Adult Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Web. Nov. 9, 2011. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031115101.htm
U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel syndrome – PubMed Health. Web. Nov. 9, 2011. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001292/
Heart, Mikaya. Email interview. Nov. 9, 2011.
Miller, Brooke. About Soapbox Therapy. Web. Nov. 9, 2011. http://soapboxtherapy.com/about
Miller, Brooke. Email interview. Nov. 8, 2011.
Sears, Barry. Email interview. Nov. 8, 2011.
Reviewed November 10, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN