The relationship between trauma and autoimmunity
As an integrative nutritionist, I often encounter people with autoimmune conditions. Did you know that 80% of autoimmune conditions affect women? This intrigued me, and I started asking many "whys." First, let me provide you with a list of the most common autoimmune diseases. Even though fibromyalgia is not part of it, I will argue that it is undoubtedly related. The list of autoimmune diseases is over 100+, but I will list the most common according to the organ system:
❤️ Diseases of the joints and muscles: psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjogren’s Syndrome, Systematic Lupus.
💚 Diseases of the digestive tract: Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, Ulcerative colitis.
💙 Diseases of the endocrine system: Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Addison’s disease.
🧡 Diseases of the skin: Dermatomyositis, Psoriasis.
💜 Diseases of the nervous system: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), Guillain-Barre syndrome, Multiple sclerosis (MS).
🩷 Other diseases: Myasthenia gravis, Autoimmune vasculitis, Type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia, vasculitis.
Your immune system is made up of organs and cells that protect your body from bacteria, parasites, viruses, and cancer cells. An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system accidentally attacks your body instead of protecting it. You may experience pain, fatigue, dizziness, rashes, depression, and many other symptoms.
But why would the body attack itself? 🤓 And how does it all originate? Many of the people I talk to, especially those with autoimmune conditions, have conversations about early childhood trauma or stress. The way our bodies experience those traumas and stressors is individual, and even though some events may not be stressful for some, it is how our body perceives those events and how it continues to live throughout adulthood.
According to Dr. Sara Gottfried in her book The Autoimmune Cure, trauma lodged in the body affects our PINE system: psycho, immune, neuro, and endocrine systems.
“When the stress response is stuck in the “on” button position as a result of overwhelming experiences, your immune, nervous and endocrine systems are thrown out of whack. In order to heal, you need to revisit the trauma or triggering stress, feel the emotions you began to experience, and fully and truly process them in order to allow your stress response system to move to the “off” position. That’s what we mean by completing the trauma and returning to homeostasis.”
- Dr. Sara Gottfried
What can you do if you find yourself struggling with adverse experiences, stress, or trauma? As you can see from the PINE system graph, the healing process is not straightforward. This is why I am motivated to assist others in their journey towards healing.
I would like to invite you to my upcoming virtual learning event on Saturday, May 25. We will be discussing autoimmune conditions and lifestyle strategies. The event is free, and you can register below. Don't forget to let your girlfriends know so they can join us!
Take care of yourself and keep shining!
With love, Meli.
