The Hidden Connection
Emotional Trauma and Autoimmune Disease Risk
If you're a woman with a challenging emotional landscape, you are at a higher risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases – and you may know nothing about it for twenty to thirty years.
The Mind and Body at War
What happens when early life trauma, chronic stress, unhappiness and heart pain keep the immune system triggered with no end in sight?
The brain communicates with the immune system through the autonomic nervous system and through hormonal activity. Both pathways generate signals that are perceived by the immune system via receptors on the surface of white blood cells and other immune cells. An activated immune system generates chemical messenger signals called cytokines that are in turn perceived by the nervous system. This two-way communication pathway connects the brain and the immune system with our hormones and our entire physiology, which is why it creates the foundation for behavioural influences on immune functions i.e. disease conditions.
The Science of Stress and Immunity
Research has revealed that women with histories of trauma or chronic stress show measurable differences in inflammatory markers and immune function. Studies have shown that persistent emotional distress can trigger autoimmune responses similar to those seen in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Studies suggest a link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and increased inflammation, which may contribute to a higher risk of autoimmune diseases.
Chronic stress impacts the immune system, keeping it in a prolonged inflammatory state, which may trigger autoimmune responses.
Altering Perceptions
If this is you, the first step is to recognise that your emotions affect your physical wellbeing and your physiology. You can't be unhappy without your immune system responding in the same way as it does to an infection or a wound because it doesn't differentiate between stressors.
You may not be able to reduce your stress because we live in a stressful society and you may not know how to address what's hurting you because it's rooted in negative early life experiences. But you can reduce your perception of that stress. Sometimes just knowing that allows you to breathe, pause and accept the 'What Is' of your life.
The Physical Impact of Emotional Trauma
The effects of early life trauma don’t just linger in memory—they reshape the very structure of the brain. Decades of research in neuroscience and psychology have shown that childhood adversity can physically alter key regions involved in emotion regulation, stress response, and even metabolism. These changes can create a physiological cascade that influences mood, inflammation, anxiety, and even weight gain. Without intervention, the cycle can become self-perpetuating.
An Overdeveloped Right Hemisphere
The right hemisphere of the brain is heavily involved in processing emotions and social interactions. Studies suggest that early trauma can lead to asymmetrical brain development, with the right hemisphere becoming more dominant. Since this side of the brain is more involved in processing negative emotions and stress, an imbalance here can heighten emotional reactivity and make it harder to regulate fear and anxiety.
An Enlarged and Hyperactive Amygdala
The amygdala, the brain’s alarm system, detects threats and regulates fear responses. Trauma can cause it to grow in size and become hyperactive, making individuals more sensitive to stressors, more prone to anxiety, and more likely to perceive neutral situations as threatening. This "hair-trigger" stress response is a hallmark of PTSD and chronic anxiety disorders.
Dysregulation of the Stress Response
Trauma disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the system that controls the release of cortisol (the stress hormone). Instead of modulating stress appropriately, the system becomes overactive, keeping the body in a state of hypervigilance and contributing to difficulties with emotional regulation, impulse control, and resilience.
When the brain is stuck in survival mode, it affects the body at every level:
Chronic inflammation: Prolonged stress triggers inflammatory pathways, increasing the risk of autoimmune conditions and mood disorders like depression.
Increased risk of obesity: Elevated cortisol levels can drive cravings for high-calorie foods, lead to fat storage (especially around the abdomen), and contribute to insulin resistance.
Heightened emotional reactivity: A hyperactive amygdala combined with an overdeveloped right hemisphere can make it difficult to regulate emotions, reinforcing cycles of stress and negative thinking.
The Physiological Cascade
A hyper vigilant mind and immune system causes something that some practitioners refer to as a 'pregnenolone steal', which leads to hormone imbalance. The way you feel about (perceive) your stress is what is important though, because we experience feelings first, which affect the brain. Hence, perceived chronic daily stress looks the same on brain scans as someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The higher your perceived stress score, the worse the symptoms you may be experiencing – or brewing.
Breaking the Cycle: Healing the Brain
The good news? The brain is plastic. It can heal. Here’s how:
Therapeutic interventions: IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy) and SSP (Safe and Sound Protocol): IEMT helps desensitise emotional triggers by working with eye movement patterns to shift ingrained trauma responses. SSP, an auditory-based intervention, helps regulate the nervous system and improve emotional resilience by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Mindfulness and breathwork: Meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises can reduce amygdala hyperactivity and restore balance to the nervous system.
Physical movement: Exercise helps regulate stress hormones and supports neurogenesis (the growth of new brain cells).
Diet and sleep: Anti-inflammatory foods, gut health, and proper sleep hygiene play a significant role in calming the stress response and stabilizing mood.
While early trauma can leave a profound imprint, it does not have to dictate the future. By understanding how these neurological changes occur, we empower ourselves to take action—rewiring the brain, calming the nervous system, and breaking the cycle of stress and inflammation. Healing is possible, and it starts with awareness and intentional intervention.