Has anyone had health issues as a result of childhood trauma?

[Poofus]

I am a bit skeptical about things like this but it has now been suggested to me twice that my hideous digestive issues could stem from an abusive childhood.

Yes, I did - they didn't just pull the suggestion out of thin air! That would have been REALLY weird

I have ongoing unpleasant digestive issues which have resisted diagnosis for the past 10 years or so. Rather coincidentally they started the day I left my childhood home for good. The more mainstream explanation is that I had food poisoning which went untreated and turned into IBS. But one therapist and one GP have both suggested that it could be related to trauma. I am skeptical but interested...

Yes. I have eczema caused by my abusive childhood. Try reading The Body Never Lies by Alice Miller for an explanation as to the connection.

I don't really see why it is that odd. Most emotions have a physical dimension just think of the gut churning feeling you get when you feel fear.

Have you ever addressed your childhood trauma?

Um...I've had some therapy. There's probably more to be addressed there though.

dimsum, how do you know the eczema is caused by trauma? And have you found a way of treating it other than treating the symptoms?

Because no amount of medication would clear my horrendous eczema which i developed as a child. Then I had 5+ years of therapy as a result of which I resolved and let go of a massive amount of pent up and buried hurt, anger and pain caused by the childhood abuse. Not long after my therapy ended, my eczema started clearing up and is still clear to this day.

Wow. That's interesting. No amount of medication, diet change etc has helped with my digestive issues and I'd love to identify a simple cause but I really struggle to understand how trauma could cause something like this. I'm also not very sure how I would "address" it... I mean, I feel a lot better about it than I used to, but I'm not sure I will ever feel fully over it.

Yes, though not me but a very good friend had unexplained stomach pain that was eventually attributed to PTSD (due to a very traumatic sudden event that occurred when she was a teenager). After lots and lots of diagnosis, screening etc, she had therapy and treatment for PTSD and has been fine since.

Interesting. It has been suggested to me that I have PTSD, although not as a result of one specific event, but more a long-term pattern of abuse.

I'm another ex eczema sufferer. No abuse but I was involved in a conflict as a child. I think it's the underlying tension and stress (I can't explain it, not work stress or something stress, but just back of my mind, constantly there feelings which took a toll on me). I've had CBT and EMDR therapy and I am fine now, but it took a lot of time, years, and was very intensive and quite difficult and exhausting. cPTSD, which is PTSD caused by being exposed for a while, or repeatedly, to traumatic situations.

I'm a health coach (food related) and this was a strong theme in my training. The gut is known as the second brain for a reason, as is the phrase 'gut reaction' - as wailywaily says, you only have to consider how your stomach reacts when we just imagine something very gory or repellent, or get nervous/scared. There's a very distinct gut reaction. Was your therapist good? Would you go back? IMO it really is about working through stuff and making peace with it, often forgiving others (and self) and being able to let go....

Have you read anything about medically unexplained symptoms OP? This might be a good starting point:

www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/medicallyunexplainedsymptoms.aspx

Another really interesting read is When the Body Says No, by Gabor Mate. He's on you tube too. He's a doctor who writes about the stress/health connection.

I'd second that book recommendation twotall.

Have you been tested for coeliac? Very similar symptoms to IBS. I have it, it has genetic basis but is then triggered by something... Which could be chronic stress that triggers it.

My mental health is poor due to childhood trauma. I have am excellent therepist and im slowly getting better.

Also it would be worth being tested for blastocystisis. This is a parasite which lives in the gut and not everyone who has it has symptons, but for those that do, life is made very difficult.
There is a website called badbugs - if you google it you have to insist on badbugs, as your computer will try to change it to bed bugs!

I suffer with depression & have had anorexia which I'm certain was caused by childhood trauma. When I'm stressed I can't eat or in certain situations I have flashbacks. If I see anything or hear anything on TV that reminds me of my childhood it affects me.
I have had extensive psychotherapy & have read lots of books & can see the connections.