The role of chronic stress in immune diseases seems to be a topic that gets some attention at present. Nature published these within the last year:
Depression and anxiety in inflammatory bowel disease: epidemiology, mechanisms and treatment
Chronic stress can inflame the gut — now scientists know why
And this meta-analysis was made in 2016 demonstrating a link between trauma and inflammation:
Childhood trauma and adulthood inflammation
I searched for threads on this forum and did find some relevant ones:
"Scientists Get a Better Understanding of How Stress Can Inflame the Gut in IBD Patients" and
"Have you ever been asked about your mental health by your GI?"
I did not however find a thread that discuss in depth specifically WHY chronic stress occurs, and more importantly, how to DEAL with chronic stress.
The most comprehensive theory I have come across is the one which propose chronic stress and thus chronic illness is a function of our relationship to our caregivers, to ourselves, and to our surroundings. Specifically, that there are some prevalent stressors - truma -, that can trigger the "body-mind" connection to manifest these traumas as physical illness (inflammation):
- being exposed to abuse / violence
- being raised in a dysfunctional family
- long term financial or domestic insecurity
And, most importantly, not being in a position to learn how heal from these traumas.
So, I'd like to start this thread as a place to share insights, litterature, experiences, and to discuss this topic.
I for one grew up with emotionally absent parents, and developed several bad coping mechanisms which forced me to suppress healthy anger, signals from the body etc.., and to become codependent on others. I can correlate the onset of CD and subsequent flare-ups to:
- traumas within the family system
- me appying the harmful coping mechanisms i learned in childhood (because I needed them back then to survive), but I still perpetuate in adulthood in a harmful way, such as supressing my feelings and workaholism.
The recent book by Gabor Maté (MD) "The Myth of Normal" has been very informative for me. It deals with the body-mind connection and proposes ways to heal from disease-inducing trauma and harmful behaviour. It is a complex topic, and as I understand it quite a task to heal a whole life of stressful coping mechanisms. I started that process through therapy, and I am joining the https://adultchildren.org/ (a 12 step program for adult children of alcoholics or dysfunctional families).
Depression and anxiety in inflammatory bowel disease: epidemiology, mechanisms and treatment
Chronic stress can inflame the gut — now scientists know why
And this meta-analysis was made in 2016 demonstrating a link between trauma and inflammation:
Childhood trauma and adulthood inflammation
I searched for threads on this forum and did find some relevant ones:
"Scientists Get a Better Understanding of How Stress Can Inflame the Gut in IBD Patients" and
"Have you ever been asked about your mental health by your GI?"
I did not however find a thread that discuss in depth specifically WHY chronic stress occurs, and more importantly, how to DEAL with chronic stress.
The most comprehensive theory I have come across is the one which propose chronic stress and thus chronic illness is a function of our relationship to our caregivers, to ourselves, and to our surroundings. Specifically, that there are some prevalent stressors - truma -, that can trigger the "body-mind" connection to manifest these traumas as physical illness (inflammation):
- being exposed to abuse / violence
- being raised in a dysfunctional family
- long term financial or domestic insecurity
And, most importantly, not being in a position to learn how heal from these traumas.
So, I'd like to start this thread as a place to share insights, litterature, experiences, and to discuss this topic.
I for one grew up with emotionally absent parents, and developed several bad coping mechanisms which forced me to suppress healthy anger, signals from the body etc.., and to become codependent on others. I can correlate the onset of CD and subsequent flare-ups to:
- traumas within the family system
- me appying the harmful coping mechanisms i learned in childhood (because I needed them back then to survive), but I still perpetuate in adulthood in a harmful way, such as supressing my feelings and workaholism.
The recent book by Gabor Maté (MD) "The Myth of Normal" has been very informative for me. It deals with the body-mind connection and proposes ways to heal from disease-inducing trauma and harmful behaviour. It is a complex topic, and as I understand it quite a task to heal a whole life of stressful coping mechanisms. I started that process through therapy, and I am joining the https://adultchildren.org/ (a 12 step program for adult children of alcoholics or dysfunctional families).
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it would be interesting to hear if you have any experience or insights.
