In my personal and professional experience- yes.
It took me a long time and a lot of self reflection (and inner turmoil and therapy!) to realise the trauma I had been through as a teen was actually linked to how sick with ME/CFS I became. Once I understood this about myself, so much of my life made sense! The illness, my toxic relationships, my lack of self value and compassion, the need to please everyone else and leave myself at the bottom of the pile.
So what is trauma?
Trauma isn’t necessarily a stressful experience or event that has happened to you, but the wound that you sustained as a result of that experience. It is what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you. The word trauma comes from the greek word “to wound”.
Trauma isn’t necessarily just big events like abuse, alcoholism and deaths- these can be called “big T trauma”, but there is also such a thing as “small t trauma” which can be seemingly insignificant events that build up- for example not being picked up enough as a child, not feeling heard, having to mask your inner feelings and being bullied.
Depending on your own personal tolerance for stress and how sensitive you are (hello to the highly sensitive beauties out there!) some small T traumas might be big T, and vice versa- it is ok and completely normal to have your own personal experience of an event or life.
It moulds and shapes our lives and we often develop coping strategies or protective personalities because of the trauma we have experienced.
Why could 2 people experience a similar “traumatic” event but 1 is left traumatised and the other isn't?
How is this linked to chronic illness?
What happens when we chronically ignore what our body is trying to tell us?
What helps trauma and chronic illness?
How can I heal my chronic illness?
I'm Jenny and I'm a somatic coach that works with people with chronic illnesses like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia and long covid and I help you release trauma, heal holistically and learn nervous system regulation through the polyvagal theory. I've lived with ME/CFS and healed the long and hard way- you don't have to do it the long and hard way! I'm training with Gabor Maté who is a trauma expert.
If this blog has resonated with you and you’d like to heal from your chronic illness using the above principles, get in touch today to see how I can help.
Let me know below if you've learned anything new from this blog and if it resonated with you!
