Information about Comorbidities

[Kizzie]

Comorbidities are  conditions or illnesses that can occur as a result of the changes trauma inflicts on the body, mind and heart.  As Wetsman (2018) indictaes, these can be physical and/or psychological in nature:

Childhood trauma, then, reshapes how the body responds to stress long-term, across the lifetime," Ressler says. That deregulation of the healthy stress pathways leaves people at risk for depression and other psychiatric disorders.

Cortisol is also involved in the immune system, so epigenetic changes to its normal function leave people more vulnerable to illness throughout their lives. That may contribute to the increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and other adult illnesses in people who experience childhood trauma.

Reference: Wetsman, N. (2018). Childhood trauma can change the way your genes behave and leave you more vulnerable to illness, Popular Science

Note: There is a collection of research articles about comorbidities here if you're interested.

[Kizzie]

Chronic Illness Trauma Studies is a site created by survivor, physician and assistant professor Veronique Mead who devotes her time and expertise to writing and speaking about trauma and chronic illness.  Chockabloc full of info and resources!

[Kizzie]

The Neuroscience Behind Why We Feel Stressed – and What to Do About It

The same stress hormones that are essential for survival can have damaging effects on both physical and mental health if they are secreted over a longer period of time.

[saylor]

The Neuroscience Behind Why We Feel Stressed – and What to Do About It

The same stress hormones that are essential for survival can have damaging effects on both physical and mental health if they are secreted over a longer period of time.

Wow, that part about the salmon really blew my mind. I'm glad that the science is showing the mechanisms behind my symptoms. It does make me wonder, though, can I offload my allostatic load? Would that require epigenetic "reversals", and can that be achieved? Do existing therapies accomplish this, or just help the sufferer cope with their symptoms?