An effect of trauma

Immune or health problems that started after trauma

The research is clear. Sustained trauma and chronic stress have measurable effects on physical health. Autoimmune conditions, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory conditions, and other chronic illnesses occur at significantly higher rates in people with trauma histories. This does not mean your illness is not real or is all in your head. It means your body has been carrying something for a long time and bodies keep score. If you have chronic health conditions alongside a trauma history this connection deserves acknowledgment.

It can sound like

“I get sick a lot.” “My immune system attacks itself.” “My health changed after everything happened.” “Doctors treat my symptoms but no one looks at the full picture.”

If any of those sentences live in your head too, you are in good company here.

Experiences this often follows

Effects do not come from nowhere. These are some of the experiences that people who carry this one often describe. You do not need to have been through any of them for what you feel to be real.

Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and nothing here decides what is wrong with you, because nothing is wrong with you. Something happened to you. This page exists so that when you are ready, you can find people who understand it from the inside.

You do not have to carry this alone.

Bridge of Hope Recovery is a free, anonymous, peer-led fellowship for trauma survivors. Meetings run throughout the week by phone, by video, and in person. No cost, no waitlist, no one asking for your real name.

Find a meeting Join the fellowship

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