The link is obvious to me working in this field and seeing people with chronic illnesses and chronic stressful or traumatic childhood, even adulthood experiences. There is of course a genetic factor as some of us are more hardwired to handle stress with more resilience than others. Epigenetic's surely plays a part too in how the body responds to trauma.
There is also a significant body of scientific research that links childhood trauma with chronic illness. Here are some examples of this research:
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study: This is one of the most well-known studies linking childhood trauma with chronic illness. The study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente, and it found that adults who had experienced childhood trauma, such as abuse or neglect, were more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Childhood Trauma and Chronic Pain: There is also research indicating that childhood trauma is associated with chronic pain. A study published in the Journal of Pain found that individuals who experienced childhood trauma had a higher risk of developing chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The Relationship Between Childhood Adversity and Adult Health: This study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that individuals who reported experiencing childhood trauma had a higher likelihood of developing chronic health conditions in adulthood.
Childhood Trauma and Mental Health: There is a well-established link between childhood trauma and mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These conditions are also associated with an increased risk of developing chronic health conditions.
The research suggests that childhood trauma can have lasting effects on physical and mental health and that addressing childhood trauma may be an important component of preventing and treating chronic illness.
In my blog about 'How to open the detox pathways in the body' i talk about the allostatic stress on a person and how this can accumulate, stressful events and stress hormones are one such toxin.
Working on Inner Child Healing and making time and space for healing to go through unresolved emotions from the past. This can be done in a variety of different methods, I like to use Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT), which works similarly to EMDR, with hypnosis and quantum healing.
In the book "The Body Keeps the Score," author Dr. Bessel van der Kolk summarizes the research on the link between childhood stress and chronic illness. He explains that childhood stress, particularly traumatic experiences such as abuse and neglect, can lead to changes in the body's stress response system, which can increase the risk of developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. These changes in the stress response system can also lead to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, which are also associated with chronic illness. The book emphasizes the importance of addressing childhood trauma in order to prevent and treat chronic illness.