Chronic Illness Trauma Studies
how life events alter genes & why its not in your head
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You’ll get a post from me about every other week, usually on Fridays.
Enjoy my blog. It’s great to have you here.
Veronique
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The search for better health when you have a chronic illness is like a zig zag. There is nothing linear about it. No guarantee of improvement, let alone of success. It’s like peeling an onion that has an infinite number of layers. But seeds get planted along the way, and surreptitiously, they do what they were made to do: they sprout.
Hi, I am 46 years old and was very recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. My Dr. Told me about there being new evidence that this illness can be linked to trauma. I had a really rough childhood and I really believe that I have blocked a lot of my memories. It is common knowledge that my brother was put in a foster home because he was beaten so badly by my step father. I am only a year younger than him and yet I don’t remember the actual beatings. I also believe I was whipped a few times but don’t actually remember or know what I may have been thinking at the time. I was also involved in a bad car accident when I was 18.
I am really interested in dealing with this trauma and trying to get better. I do ok with the pain but the fatigue is debilitating and causing me to miss a lot of work. I was wondering if you could recommend a Dr. That specializes in trauma near the Ann Arbor, Brighton, Mi area. Thank you so much for your blog! It is very interesting!
Hi Patti, I’m so glad you have a doctor that considers links to trauma, especially given what you sense and know about your history. Sounds like you have managed to get through a lot in your childhood and now with your health. Hang in there!
I don’t know specific people in your area but the links below are to lists of practitioners around the country who have trained in approaches I like and respect. As with searching for any practitioner, you may want to interview, meet and try out a session or two with more than one to find someone who feels like a good fit for you (personality, perspective, style) and perhaps someone who is familiar with working with chronic illness as well (though this may not be common). Let me know if you have any questions. I wish you all the best on your journey!!
Somatic Experiencing
http://www.traumahealing.com/somatic-experiencing/index.html
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
http://www.sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/psychotherapists.html
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
http://www.emdria.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=235
Thanks for your work – it makes more sense to me than anything else I have read.
Another resource is Clean Language. Have a look at this paper:
http://www.positivehealth.com/article/alopecia/the-mind-metaphor-and-health
If you want to know more, drop me a line.
Hi Cathy,
I’m so glad this work makes such sense for you. I just read your link and so appreciate this perspective on the use of metaphor – I’ve posted it on my Facebook page. It has many similarities to the somatic psychotherapy based approaches for working with trauma that I’ve trained in and continue to use on my own healing journey – and it is such a validation of the importance of listening rather than fighting. Listening to our bodies, our emotions, the images and sensations that reside within us and more. It also is reminiscent of the stories of people’s journeys and healing in the work by physician psychotherapist Rachel Naomi Remen in her book “Kitchen Table Wisdom.” I’d love to hear more about your story or your work.
Wow, Veronique!!!
Your site is not only so clear and sounds just like you talking, but it’s gorgeous too. I’ll be looking forward to your posts.
I will be digging in and looking around your site. So much info here.
I feel like I came to a lovely home….not a clinic. I like that.
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
I’m so glad you’re finding a sense of a home on the site! I so enjoy posting and sharing pictures and making it as beautiful and artistic and personal as I can. Welcome to the blog!!
Would appreciate any information on fibromyalgia or can I contact someone to see how they manage this chronic disease
Hi Linda,
There is information linking trauma with fibromyalgia sprinkled throughout the literature though not as much as in some other chronic illnesses. I recommend trauma therapies that work outside the cognitive and pay attention to how the perception of threat gets stored in ways that are not accessible to conscious awareness.
Here’s a link to the ones I particularly respect, if that’s at all what you are looking for. This blog post gives links to finding therapists around the world in each different modality.
I recommend the same types of therapy regardless of illness (mine is chronic fatigue and I only occasionally experience severe pain). The work with trauma therapists then focuses very specifically on you as an individual and what is going on for you.
Re other ways of managing, check out the blog Health Rising, which talks about all sorts of (non trauma) related research in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. The community is very active there, get involved in comments and conversations, and share what they do that is helpful in addition to all the posts
warmly,
Veronique