Trauma And Health

Trauma & Health

It is now well established that traumas early in life can have a strong impact on adult health (1). In fact, research has shown that many chronic illnesses are stress-induced, trauma-related, or both. 

In this regard, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other mindfulness-based practices offer promising benefits.  In the (IFS) model, our personality is viewed as being made up of many sub-personalities, or "parts" (2).  When there are parts using the body to communicate a need for help, the IFS method can be used to let those parts know that you now have a way to hear from them, and that they don’t have to use the body this way to get your attention. 

Published research has shown that treating the effects of trauma using IFS and other mindfulness-based methods has the potential to alleviate the symptoms of certain chronic diseases (3). For example, one peer-reviewed study offered 9 months of IFS therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic auto-immune disease. When they  were guided to identify and listen to the parts related to their symptoms there was a significantly positive effect that persisted for one year after the study ended.   These enduring effects consisted of:

• Improved general function and well-being
• Reduced pain
• Reduced symptoms of depression
• Improved resilience
• Increased self-compassion

Furthermore, there is empirical evidence that IFS can also produce benefits in patients with PTSD, addiction, and depression.   These and other studies demonstrate that IFS, as well as other mindfulness-based methods, offer a promising complementary approach to traditional treatments for people with chronic illness.

As a medical doctor and psychotherapist, I can help you explore the possible link between unhealed past traumas and current symptoms of a chronic illness or symptoms not explained by traditional medicine.

NOTES:

1. See the Resource page for references on the ACE study
2. For an explanation of "parts" in the Internal Family Systems model, see the Treatment Approach tab and the Resource tab.
3. See the Resource page for IFS research references.