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Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

theglobeandmail.com

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Re: Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

#41
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really such a leap. It’s pretty well-known[1] that unmanaged long-term stress leads to physical ailments (some of which can be deadly serious), including - Anxiety - Depression - Digestive problems - Headaches - Heart disease - Sleep problems - Weight gain - Memory and concentration impairment [1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-manageme...

I'm not impuning the conclusion but the awful logic used to reach it. This is tentamount to saying, "a good meal of delicious food can lift one's spirits, therefore eating a rich diet everyday will make one happy!"

What’s wrong with that, assuming the rich food is nutritious and in reasonable portions and accompanied by exercise and adequate sleep.

Re: Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

#44

I'm struggling to see what's new here -- this has been known for decades. Just look into any decent book on myofascial release massage, or rolfing, or somatic meditation -- our long-term emotional states, repression, etc. directly affect our muscles, posture, digestion, back pain, etc., and releasing those emotional states can be achieved via a combination of psychotherapy to address the emotional sources, and massag…

I'd be interested to read more about this -- can you recommend any references, particularly regarding benefits for performance?

its been some years, so I'm a bit foggy - but some times ago some of the intro classes for massage school here went into some details about various, techniques that are not used as often or known as well even by those 'in the industry' -

I think the Alexander Method, and Feldenkrais method were described as being beneficially used to help actors (including voice actors) and performers better their craft.

noted here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Technique#Uses

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldenkrais_Method

I am sure several types of exercises can benefit voice and acting - certainly tai chi, yoga, chi kung, breathing exercise in general.. this new 'laughing yoga' I've heard about - surely would make things better and not usually worse - probably measurably.

Re: Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

#46
post #40

I’ve been testing this hypothesis - as best as one possibly can without conventional medical support - for the past few years. I’ve found that with persistence, emotion-based therapies are effective at bringing about healing of chronic physiological illnesses. Prior to that I’d spent several frustrating years seeking diagnosis for conditions that were debilitating but not apparently identifiable or treatable. To me t…

How do you know that you did not have a natural recovery that just happened to coincide with the new intervention?

Re: Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

#47
Many therapists and spiritual guides will say that trauma is physically stored in the body. Things like movement, dance, yoga, sounds, etc. help to loosen the body and therefore loosen the grip of these traumatic experiences.

While I've seen and felt the benefits of how healing the body can heal the mind is that phrase "storing trauma in the body" literally true or more of an phrase that just helps people start talking better care of their body?

Re: Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

#48
post #40

I’ve been testing this hypothesis - as best as one possibly can without conventional medical support - for the past few years. I’ve found that with persistence, emotion-based therapies are effective at bringing about healing of chronic physiological illnesses. Prior to that I’d spent several frustrating years seeking diagnosis for conditions that were debilitating but not apparently identifiable or treatable. To me t…

I left a recent comment on HN about this[0], and at the risk of sounding like a shill I'll share it again as it helped at least one person :) My experience tracks with yours, and it really does seem like modern medicine is missing something important.

The book The Mind-Body Prescription[1] by Dr. Sarno covers this exact topic, and made a huge impact on my life and the life of a friend of mine. It's a worthwhile read for scientifically-minded skeptics who are feeling frustrated that doctors seem stumped by their chronic pain/illness. I had a worsening pain that jeopardized my ability to work a desk job, and that book resolved it in a matter of weeks.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17899992

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Mindbody-Prescription-Healing-Body-Pa...

Re: Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

#49
post #40

I’ve been testing this hypothesis - as best as one possibly can without conventional medical support - for the past few years. I’ve found that with persistence, emotion-based therapies are effective at bringing about healing of chronic physiological illnesses. Prior to that I’d spent several frustrating years seeking diagnosis for conditions that were debilitating but not apparently identifiable or treatable. To me t…

How do you know that you did not have a natural recovery that just happened to coincide with the new intervention?

Because the onset and decline of my symptoms all map directly to my experience of trauma and the process of trauma identification and resolution.

Here’s something for you to think about, as I think there’s a flaw in your question: do you think the onset of my symptoms was “natural”, just as the recovery was “natural”?

I believe in causality, and I can comfortably accept that chronic illness is a natural consequence of chronic emotional trauma.

Also, there’s plenty of scientific theory and research findings linking stress/trauma with physiological conditions like inflammation, immune weakness, digestion etc, which aligns with my experience.

But again, causality is the key. Illness doesn’t happen without a cause, and in my case, trauma was the most plausible cause, given that my experience of illness maps directly to my experience of carrying unresolved trauma, and no other cause is apparent.

Re: Some unexplained physical symptoms may be caused by unresolved emotional trauma

#50

Yeah this is Dianetics i.e. Scientology! I'm not supporting them at all, they are a cult, but the the original basis for Scientology was Dianetics and it's related to this.

So you've done research into this form of psychotherapy to confirm if it is the same as Dianetics? Or is this article the extent of your research?
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