Today's Post from Dr Kathleen Young

Can Childhood Abuse Make You Sick?

In my practice I often see examples of the mind-body connection, of the ways exposure to violence or trauma impacts not only psychological but also physical health. Recent research recognizes the impact that childhood abuse can have on health in adulthood. For example, migraines, chronic pain, arthritis, chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome have all been found to be more common among those with a history of childhood abuse. Fibromyalgia may be triggered by severe physical or emotional trauma. Girls with hostile or stressful home environments were found to reach puberty earlier, which in turn has been linked to various health problems.

Read more . . .

I, for one, am not surprised by any of this. After a lifetime of living with the after effects of a violent childhood and associating via church and support group with folks who are survivors, I've long noted that even among the ones who are relatively well adjusted, mental illness and debilitating pain are very very common.

I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I also started going through puberty at age nine and have spent four and a half decades suffering from horrific menstrual pain. And my story is a story of battling mental illness, now labled bipolar disorder, with repeated soul wrenching, nearly fatal plunges into severe depression. Is this all attributable to the horrific abuse I endured as a child? Is there a genetic component that either triggered or was exacerbated by beatings and rape? I don't know. But it looks like some people are trying to find answers.