Emotional Trauma and the Physical Body RENO, NV (KUNR) - Dr. Rebecca Jankovich, PhD can be reached at 322-1839

Scientists are finding links between mind and body. For the past decade we've been studying the impact of trauma on physical health, and we've found the effects of the trauma continue throughout the rest of life; the more horrible the trauma, the more severe the long term effects. "Trauma" includes terrifying emotional as well as physical experiences such as child abuse be it sexual, emotional, or physical; domestic violence; rape; battery or other violent physical assaults; near death experiences in accidents or natural catastrophes; war time injuries or horrors. Once a person has been traumatized, their mind and emotions react with post-traumatic disorders, and their bodies react with what appear to be long lasting or permanent changes that make them more susceptible to stress and health problems.
Adults who were abused as children tend to have poorer health than those who were not; adult survivors of abuse have higher rates of heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, skeletal fractures, hepatitis, fibermyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic pain. The same propensity for chronic health problems are found in survivors of violence, natural disasters, life threatening accidents, and war. Trauma changes the body's response to stressors, making the trauma survivor more vulnerable to physical problems; the usual system of checks and balances goes haywire. In a complicated domino effect, trauma dysregulates the body's mechanisms that activate the fight or flight responses leaving the body more reactive to stress, with increased inflammation through release of too many cytokines, and with an immune system that isn't as effective. We used to think the effects of trauma resolved when the body healed from the injury; now we know the effects of trauma persist in this physical dysregulation.
The immune system is designed to react to threat by releasing cytokines; these cells increase inflammation which helps the body heal and fight infection. The cells are supposed to go to the wound site, where the inflammation helps healing; but for trauma survivors, there tend to be too many cytokines and they're floating around in the blood throughout the body instead of targeting the wound site. When these cytokines float around at high levels systemically, they increase the risk of health problems rather than heal wounds.
Trauma survivors often suffer from depression, increased hostility and sleep disorders; all mental health problems that are correlated with increased health risks. Many studies have shown that depression is correlated with an increased risk of premature death, and not because of suicide, but because of health risks, especially cardiovascular problems. People with hostility struggle with anger, not trusting others, being suspicious and cynical about human nature, interpreting other's actions as aggressive towards themselves; they have trouble sustaining relationships and find it hard to feel close. Hostility is common among trauma survivors and impairs health by increasing the body's inflammatory response. The combination of depression and hostility is worse than either alone. A particularly worrisome finding is that couples with high hostility, who fight a lot, tend to have this increased inflammatory response, so it could be true that a bad relationship could shorten your life!
Trauma survivors also suffer from sleep disorders which in turn impair health. It's common for survivors to have trouble falling asleep, to awaken often throughout the night, to wake up too early and not be able to go back to sleep; even when they do get some sleep, it's disrupted by vivid nightmares and flashbacks to the traumatic event. The lack of sleep plays havoc with the immune system since it's during stage 3-4 sleep the body does the work of replenishing the immune system and repairing the body.
The news is not all bad. Even though trauma may effect the survivor for life, you can improve your health risks. We know that taking Omega-3 fatty acids within the guidelines for safe usage, which is up to 3000 mg per day, helps the body lower inflammation, and lower cytokine production that harms rather than helps. And we know that aerobic exercise at 60% of your heart's maximum capacity for one hour, 3 times a week, dramatically helps the body to re-establish the regulation that's disrupted by trauma. Flexibility, resistance or weight training doesn't appear to have the same protective effect as aerobic exercise. People who are physically fit and undergo trauma have a better response to stress than those who are not fit.
The bottom line is that emotional or physical trauma changes not only our emotions, but also our body's vulnerability to stress and illness; the changes are long term, perhaps lasting a lifetime. The survivor can seize control and help their body through exercise and taking Omega-3 fatty acids. And oh yes, terrible relationships can ruin your health.
© Copyright 2009, KUNR