Trauma and the Body

Overall, when someone experiences trauma, these experiences can lead to various difficulties with physical health, which we will discuss in more detail below.

Before we begin, it is essential to remember that just because someone has experienced trauma does not mean they are doomed to develop these outcomes. And if a person has developed a particular negative outcome due to trauma exposure, they are not necessarily doomed to have it forever. Healing and resilience are possible, and many factors can prevent these outcomes from happening in the first place, and many factors can lead to their healing if they have occurred.

Overall, exposure to trauma is associated with having more physical illness (1), more difficulties with physical functioning and more doctor’s visits (2), and worse self-rated physical health (3). Additionally, trauma is associated with a greater risk of the following:

• Cardiovascular disease (4)
• Diabetes (4)
• Gastrointestinal problems (4)
• Cancer (4)
• Musculoskeletal difficulties and diseases (5)
• Fibromyalgia (6)
• Fatigue (6)
• Arthritis (6)
• Psoriasis (6)

Researchers are still trying to determine how trauma can cause physical health problems. They have proposed a few ideas:

1. After trauma, the nervous system tends to continue to react as if the trauma is occurring, causing more stress hormones to be released. This secretion of hormones can lead to more inflammation and disease (2)
2. Negative emotions such as anger could cause physical health problems (7)
3. PTSD is a mechanism that has been studied (5). Trauma can lead to physical health problems even without a PTSD diagnosis, but having PTSD increases the risk of these issues (6). One study found that the sleep problems of PTSD, such as insomnia and nightmares, are a way PTSD can lead to physical health problems after trauma since good sleep is so vital to health (8)
4. Alexithymia is another proposed mechanism. It is a fancy term for not being able to name one’s emotions. This can make regulating emotions hard, which can cause the nervous system to keep secreting stress hormones (9).

Overall, trauma exposure is associated with physical health problems, especially when the trauma exposure causes difficulties with emotions, regulation of stress hormones, and PTSD. 

There is hope for healing and resilience following exposure to trauma. If you or someone you know may be suffering from these negative effects of trauma, please visit the healing resources page to begin your healing journey. 

To learn more about the effects of trauma, please visit the following pages:

• Trauma Statistics
• Trauma and Actions
• Trauma and Emotions
• Trauma and Friendships
• Trauma and the Mind
• Trauma and the Soul
• Trauma and Vocations
• Effects of Trauma by Gender
• Resources to Learn More About the Effects of Trauma