4 Surprising ways Trauma can show up in your Body

Have you ever gone to the doctor to have a set of symptoms checked out only for them to say, “we can’t find anything wrong”? Not only are you left feeling frustrated but also, now what?! We’re going to take a look at some surprising ways trauma can affect the body. But first, what is trauma?

What is Trauma?

From shell shock, to war neurosis to PTSD, Trauma has been renamed and redefined over time. Today, we understand trauma to be anything that overwhelms our nervous system that we can’t fully process, leading to unresolved stress and potential long-term effects. Peter Levine, a prominent figure in the field of trauma and Somatic Experiencing, defines trauma as “anything that is too much, too soon, or too fast for our nervous system to handle, especially if we can’t reach a successful resolution.” With that in mind, let’s take a look at 4 surprising ways trauma can show up in your body:

1. Feeling Stuck, Numb or Disconnected from your Body

Our bodies have a built-in “freeze response” that kicks in during threatening situations—think of a deer caught in headlights. Just like fight-or-flight, it’s an automatic survival mechanism where breathing gets shallow and our thinking brain goes offline. It’s like your body hanging up a “Closed for Maintenance” sign to conserve energy when facing danger. The problem comes when this freeze response gets stuck in the “on” position, even when you’re safe, what’s called a “functional freeze.” This often happens when trauma overwhelms us. Remember, these responses are automatic, not a sign of weakness or failure. They’re your body trying to protect you, sometimes a bit too enthusiastically. Living in a functional freeze state can include Chronic disconnection from your body – You might feel physically numb, distant from your sensations, or like you’re observing yourself from outside. This disconnection often shows up as difficulty identifying physical sensations, emotions, or needs.

2. IBS and Digestive Issues

Research continues to discover that adversity early in life is associated with increased gastrointestinal symptoms which often includes abdominal pain, bloating, and irregular bowel movements. Here’s why: when you experience ongoing stress as a child, your body pumps out stress hormones like cortisol constantly. This creates inflammation throughout your body, including your digestive system. All that extra cortisol can throw off how your gut moves food through your system, which is why you might end up with diarrhea or constipation. It also disrupts the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut microbiome, killing off the helpful bacteria while the harmful ones thrive. This imbalance often leads to problems like IBS and chronic inflammation in your digestive tract. It’s your body’s stress response causing chaos in your digestive system long after the original trauma happened.

3. Breath holding & Jaw clenching

We learned briefly above that our fight or flight also has a freeze response that engages for the sake of our survival. Another symptom of being stuck in a freeze response is your breathing might be shallow, your chest might feel collapsed or you feel like you cannot take a deep breath, you might even find yourself holding your breath. This suggests that you might be relying heavily upon a defensive expression of your nervous system in a parasympathetic-dominated response one that conserves energy for the sake of survival. Another way of thinking of about breath holding is when your mobile device is running low on power and asks do you want to enter “Low Power Mode“, a mechanism that reduces power consumption to extend battery life. In that same way, breath holding is your nervous system’s way of conserving energy during a period of overwhelm or danger. Breath holding can also be accompanied by jaw clenching and TMJ symptoms. For some people, this means unconsciously bracing their jaw muscles, clenching or grinding their teeth for extended durations. When this sustained muscle tension occurs alongside the inflammation prompted by stress hormones like cortisol, it’s recognized as a likely contributor to the development or worsening of TMJ pain.

4. Chronic Illness and the Stress-Disease Connection

“If you can’t say no, your body will do it for you.” Have you ever worked past your capacity and experienced burnout symptoms, developed a migraine or caught a cold? You weren’t able to say no to the demands in your life, so your body did it for you. This stress-disease connection is explored in Dr. Gabor Mate’s Book, “When the Body Says No”. Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology (PNIE) is the study of intricate interactions between the psychological, neurological, immune, and endocrine systems. Gabor Maté’s work powerfully illustrates psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology (PNIE) by showing how:

• Chronic stress, often from suppressed emotions and boundary issues can weaken your immunity (elevated cortisol).
• Repressed emotions, especially anger, are linked to autoimmune disorders (hormonal imbalances, overactive immunity). For instance, Maté highlights studies suggesting a higher incidence of cancer in individuals who repress their anger.
• A “disease-prone personality” (Type C, suppressing negative emotions) can lead to chronic stress a weakened immunity and cancer.
• Early childhood trauma impacts the development of stress response, immune, and endocrine systems, affecting long-term health.
• Mind and body are inseparable in illness; emotional states directly influence hormonal and immune functions.
• Prioritizing attachment over authenticity, essentially the need to deny your own feelings in order stay connected or “keep the peace”. This can create chronic stress that disrupts immune and endocrine balance.

Maté’s insights provide real-world examples of PNIE, emphasizing the interconnectedness of our psychological and physiological systems in health and disease, highlighting the impact of stress, emotions, and our early childhood experiences.

How to Move Forward

The Old Way

Trauma treatment has changed within the last decade thanks to new research and those invested in the field of Trauma treatment. Just a decade ago the traditional approach to treating trauma was from the “top-down”, which refers to trauma therapy approaches that focus on cognitive processing. Popular approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Narrative Therapy work with the thinking centers of the brain to help change beliefs and behaviors related to the trauma. These therapies aim to reframe traumatic experiences, challenge negative thought patterns, and foster resilience. And while this approach had been somewhat successful, Trauma alters cognitive and emotional processes, making it difficult for some individuals to effectively use top-down strategies, as the “rational side of the brain” may be overwhelmed.

A Holistic Approach

As more research began to unfold, it turns out that Trauma is stored in both the mind and body, so a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches is the sweet spot for optimal healing and recovery. Bottom-up approaches address trauma from a physical and neurological perspective, focusing on the body’s response to trauma, which can be highly effective in trauma treatment, especially for individuals with complex trauma. Bottom-up approaches include Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, and Internal Family Systems, which can help you reconnect with your body, release trauma-related energy, and regulate your nervous system. Adopting both top-down and bottom-up approaches to target the root cause of psychological and somatic symptoms related to trauma is the best way to achieve real, lasting healing and recovery.

Next Steps

If you are looking to get to the root of your symptoms and feel they may be connected to a history of trauma, we provide professional support for Trauma Therapy. Our therapists specialize in trauma-informed care, online throughout Illinois and Chicago. You can book an appointment online or schedule a free 20-minute consultation.