Your Body Remembers | The Unseen Connection Between Trauma and Chronic Illness

Far too often, many chronic conditions like autoimmune disorders or hypertension and comorbid neuroses are treated as categories of symptoms, overlooking their roots in Complex Trauma, or not even bothering with a differentiation or etiology. This misstep, known as Iatrogenic harm, delays healing by ignoring the Biopsychosocial link between mind and body.

How often are chronic health issues mistakenly treated as isolated physical or comorbid psychological ailments when they could be manifestations of unresolved trauma?

For years, you’ve been on a seemingly endless carousel of doctor visits, specialist consultations, and alternative healing sessions. Each turn comes with promises of relief, yet leaves you right where you started: overwhelmed, underserved, and misunderstood.

You’re not alone in feeling trapped in a cycle of despair, as countless individuals share this exhausting journey, searching for answers to their chronic health woes.

Traditional therapies, cutting-edge medical treatments, and even spiritual quests have failed to halt the relentless tide of your symptoms, ranging from physical ailments to emotional turmoil. You’re not alone in feeling trapped in a cycle of despair, as countless individuals share this exhausting journey, searching for answers to their chronic health woes.

However, what if the root of all these mysterious symptoms was something deeper, something often overlooked by even the most well-intentioned experts? What if the key to unlocking your well-being lies within understanding and addressing trauma? Here are two potent signs that your chronic health issues may indeed be manifestations of deep-seated trauma:

1. Comorbidity: A Cluster of Diagnoses

You find yourself diagnosed with an array of conditions, such as autoimmune disorders, hypertension, breathing troubles, and more. This multitude of medical labels often comes with a prescription overload, yet no real relief. Each specialist treats a part of you, but no one sees the whole picture. The interconnection of these ailments suggests a possible underlying cause rooted in psychological trauma, manifesting physically across your body’s systems.

2. Dual Diagnoses and Overlapping Disorders

Alongside your physical health battles, mental health struggles cast a long shadow. Depression, anxiety, and perhaps substance abuse weave a complex web, as you grapple with mental health disorders that frequently accompany your physical ailments. This pattern of dual diagnoses isn’t just a challenging coincidence, it could be a significant indicator that your symptoms are interconnected signs of unresolved trauma.

Table: Mapping PEC Strategies to DSM-5-TR Diagnoses

Complex Trauma (c-PTSD) Diagnosis with PEC Groups	Subgroups: Protective Ego Construct Strategies (PECS)	Possible DSM-5-TR Diagnoses
Cognitive Distortions Group (CDG)	Cognitive Dissonance	Anxiety Disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
	Idealizing	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Narcissistic, Schizotypal), Schizophrenia, DID
	Incontiguous Time Gaps	Dissociative Disorders (e.g., Dissociative Amnesia), Personality Disorders (all), PTSD (dissociative subtype), Substance Use Disorders
	Neurotic Alibis	Anxiety Disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Personality Disorders (Avoidant, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Paranoid, Schizotypal), Substance Use Disorders
	Regressive Intelligence	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Dependent), Substance Use Disorders
	Splitting	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Schizotypal), Schizophrenia, DID
Dissociative Defense Group (DDG)	Amnesia	Dissociative Disorders, PTSD (dissociative specifier), Personality Disorder (Schizotypal), Schizophrenia, DID, Substance Use Disorders
	Derealization	Dissociative Disorders, PTSD (dissociative specifier), Personality Disorder (Schizotypal), Schizophrenia, DID
	Ego Drifting	Dissociative Disorders, Personality Disorder (Schizoid)
	Numbness	Dissociative Disorders, PTSD, Personality Disorder (Schizoid), Substance Use Disorders
	Paracosmic Escapism	Dissociative Disorders, Personality Disorder (Schizoid), Substance Use Disorders
	Zombie Brain	Dissociative Disorders, Personality Disorder (Schizotypal)
Drive-State Signals Group (DSG)	Anxious Reassurance Seeking	Anxiety Disorders (e.g., Generalized Anxiety Disorder), Personality Disorders (Dependent)
	Empathetic Control	Personality Disorders (Dependent, Borderline)
	Excessive Concern	Personality Disorders (Dependent, Borderline)
	Hypervigilance	Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders (PTSD), Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders (Schizotypal, Paranoid)
Egoic Intrusion Group (EIG)	Ego Haunting	Personality Disorders (Borderline), Schizophrenia (rare), Dissociative Identity Disorder
	Emergent Dominant Ego Integrity Issues	Personality Disorders (Borderline)
	Emergent Dominant Ego Hyper-Position	Personality Disorders (Borderline)
	Emergent Dominant Ego Hypo-Position	Personality Disorders (Borderline)
	Relational Integrity Distortion	Personality Disorders (Borderline)
Emotional Conflict & Control Group (ECCG)	Depressive Resistant	Personality Disorders (Borderline)
	Euphoric Escapism & Control	Mood Disorders (Bipolar Disorder), Substance Use Disorders
	Emotional Cynicism	Mood Disorders (Major Depressive Disorder), Substance Use Disorders
	Undermining	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Antisocial), Substance Use Disorders
Emotional Dysregulation Group (EDG)	Coercive Emotions	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Histrionic)
	Diversional Diagnosis	Personality Disorders (Histrionic), Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders, Factitious Disorders
	Emotional Fragmentation	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Schizotypal)
	Functional Intrusion	Anxiety Disorders (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
	Leveraging Immaturity	Personality Disorders (Histrionic, Borderline)
	Mood Liability	Personality Disorders (Borderline), Bipolar Disorder,  Schizotypal, Schizophrenia, DID, Substance Use Disorders
	Overreactive Emotions	Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Personality Disorders (Borderline, Histrionic), Substance Use Disorders
	Overwhelming Emotions	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Histrionic), Substance Use Disorders
Emotional Hyporegulation Group (EHG)	Dismissiveness	Personality Disorders (Narcissistic, Antisocial), Schizoid Personality Disorder
	Emotional Amputation	PTSD, Dissociative Disorders, Schizoid Personality Disorder, Substance Use Disorders
	Inauthentic Manipulation	Personality Disorders (Antisocial)
	Masochistic Soothing	Depressive Disorders, Substance Use Disorders
	Sadistic Soothing	Personality Disorders (Antisocial)
	Vengeful Style	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Paranoid)
Emotional Somatization Group (ESG)	Psychogenic Transduction	Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders (Somatic Symptom Disorder, Illness Anxiety, Conversion), Substance Use Disorders
Introjected Possession Group (IPG)	Neurotic Identification	Personality Disorders (Dependent, Borderline)
	Emotional Contagion (Entrainment)	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Dependent), Substance Use Disorders
Mental Looping Group (MLG)	Catastrophic Thinking	Anxiety Disorders (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
	Navel-Gazing (Hyper-Reflexivity)	Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
	Spooling	Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
Projection Defense Group (PDG)	Complex Displacement (Countertransference)	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Paranoid)
	Complex Projection (Transference)	Personality Disorders (Borderline, Paranoid), Schizotypal, Schizophrenia, DID
	Distorted Social Engagement	Personality Disorders (Borderline), Substance Use Disorders
	Egoic Shadow Projection	Personality Disorders (Narcissistic)
	Misattribution	Personality Disorders (Paranoid), Schizotypal, Schizophrenia, DID
Social Adaptations Group (SAG)	Externalized Emotional Coping	Personality Disorders (Dependent, Borderline)
	Over-Attachment (Enmeshment)	Personality Disorders (Dependent, Borderline), Histrionic Personality Disorder
	Reaction Formation	Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders
	Vicarious Enmeshment	Personality Disorders (Histrionic, Dependent)

The Cost of Misunderstanding: Your Journey Through the Healthcare Maze

Your healthcare experience has likely been fragmented, with each expert in their silo, offering a piece of the puzzle but never the complete picture. You’ve probably encountered:

• Dismissal and Misdiagnosis: Doctors and therapists who have underestimated the psychological components of your physical symptoms, insisting on separate, unrelated causes for each complaint.

• Temporary Fixes: Treatments that offer brief respite but fail to address the underlying trauma, leading to a frustrating cycle of symptom management without true healing.

• Worsened Conditions (Iatrogenic): Interventions that not only fail to help but perhaps exacerbate your conditions, suggesting a misalignment between your needs and the treatments provided.

The Path Forward: Acknowledging and Addressing Trauma

Realizing that your suffering might have roots in past trauma can be both unsettling and enlightening. It offers a new lens through which to view your health struggles, an opportunity to integrate and heal. Trauma-informed care, which considers your historical emotional and psychological injuries, could be the key to unlocking a healthier, more fulfilled life.

About the Author

Michael C Walker, a chaplain at Jaguar Marigold Chapel, combines Christian Mysticism, Depth Psychology, Affective Neuroscience, Classical Studies, and Dream Mapping to delve into the human psyche. With 20+ years of experience, he pioneers the fusion of spiritual wisdom and scientific exploration. His innovative approach to Complex Trauma (C-PTSD) provides insights for Self-Analysis, divine purpose, and authenticity.