5 WAYS TRAUMA IMPACTS YOUR GUT
Many of us associate the word trauma with something horrible that happened in the past, like a parent's loss, a car accident, or a natural disaster. However, trauma can result from simply missing something in our childhood (emotional validation, affection, recognition, abandonment) or having something in excess (stress, criticism, emotional or physical abuse).
Basically, trauma is an event that is too much for our system to handle, and what often accompanies it is a state of helplessness and powerlessness.
As children, we do not have many choices. We are tiny, vulnerable beings. We cannot choose our parents, the place we live, or our environment. We also do not have the language to verbalize what happens to us consciously. As a result, trauma gets stored as a somatic (bodily) memory that will later in life show up as digestive issues, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, allergies, back pains - symptoms for which no clear physical basis can be found.
When it comes to trauma, physical and emotional are inseparable, our bodies perceive a threat the same way. What happens to us emotionally happens to us physically, and vice versa. And it's all because our nervous system makes no distinction between the two. Its regulation is linked to our body, senses, energetic resonance, survival adaptations, nature, and the surrounding environment.
So let's take a closer look at our nervous system.
The nervous system is a complex collection of nerves and specialized cells known as neurons that transmit signals between different body parts. Essentially, it's the body's electrical wiring that is responsible for our survival.
More recently, Dr. Stephen Porges has developed a more nuanced understanding of the autonomic nervous system. His polyvagal theory distinguishes the following 'modes':
👉 Social engagement mode :
mediated by the ventral vagus
part of our parasympathetic nervous system
signs: we feel calm, alive, secure, healthy, connected, grounded, present, engaging with others, curious
👉 Fight/flight mode :
part of our sympathetic nervous system
signs: anxiety, restlessness, hypervigilance, insomnia, highly activated
👉 Freeze mode
mediated by the dorsal vagus
part of our parasympathetic nervous system
signs: depression, overwhelm, exhaustion, lack of motivation, chronic pain
If our nervous system is well regulated, we will respond appropriately to our circumstances and threats (thoughts, feelings, and behaviors), but once the danger is gone, our system should return to homeostasis.
However, a dysregulated nervous system will often cause us to respond disproportionally to an event, person, or situation, either by under-reacting or over-reacting. It can manifest as mental health symptoms (such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, memory issues, poor concentration and attention, irritability, fatigue), and inappropriate behavior (such as rage outbursts, passive aggression, being shut down, withdrawn, lying etc).
So how trauma impacts your gut health?
The gut is part of the nervous system, with its 500 neurons only secondary to the brain. So if there is any nervous system dysregulation, be it hypoarousal (freeze state) or hyperarousal (flight or fight), it will inevitably impact our gut.
If something triggered us at any moment in the past, we move into a highly activated state, our adrenals pump cortisol, our heart is racing, and we are ready to fight or flight. In a healthy body, our system should return to homeostasis after the initial trigger is gone. But in the traumatized body, the system stays dysregulated. As a result, we may remain hypervigilant and agitated, have trouble sleeping, have racing thoughts, and cannot relax. We keep ourselves busy to distract and/or eat, drink, smoke, and exercise to numb feelings.
As we stay in this highly activated state, digestion slows down, as breaking down foods isn't essential for survival. As a result, we produce fewer digestive juices and enzymes. That's why we tend to eat more carbs, which are easier to digest and provide quick fuel and a momentary mood boost.
Additionally, excess cortisol over time leads to chronic inflammation and compromises the healthy gut flora contributing to gut dysbiosis. That means that there are more opportunistic bacteria that feed off sugar, leading to more cravings.
To find some comfort, we turn to fast food and alcohol, which fuels inflammation and inflammation perpetuates trauma.
As we have trouble sleeping, we wake up exhausted and turn to coffee to move through the day. Unfortunately, caffeine is a stimulant and brings us back right into flight or fight mode, experiencing more anxiety.
A truly vicious circle.
So how trauma impacts our gut health? To summarize:
It causes nervous system dysregulation that leads to the overproduction of cortisol that destroys healthy gut flora and causes inflammation (it may be the cause of IBS, Crohn etc)
It slows down digestion and assimilation, causing the food to spend too much time in transit and become a feed for pathogens (hello constipation, bloating, leaky gut, candida overgrowth etc)
It makes you crave sweets and carby food that breaks downs easier and numbs the emotions, contributing to more gut dysbiosis.
It may cause nutritional deficiencies. Without having enough nutrients and building blocks, healthy bacteria cannot produce feel-good chemicals like serotonin, dopamine or GABA, which leads to experiencing more anxiety and depression.
The gut is also home to the immune and endocrine systems. If gut flora or gut lining is compromised, we may develop food intolerances, allergies, and autoimmune conditions. It can also throw our hormonal system off balance.
What is the best treatment?
Healing the gut isn't only about the diet and pills, but also about finding ways to regulate and resource your nervous system so you can find safety in your body. Conventional medicine often fails to address the root cause of anxiety, as it relies heavily on medication to stabilize your mood.
A holistic approach consisting of nutritional therapy accompanied by somatics, energy healing, and subconscious work is the most effective way to heal underlying trauma.
About the author: Hanna Hanula is a Holistic Anxiety Healer specializing in Gut and Mental Health and the creator of Awaken Your Wellness program. She helps busy professionals overcome anxiety, self-sabotage and self-doubt so they can feel confident in their bodies, realize their potential and thrive.