How stored trauma creates somatic symptoms (aka: chronic illness) 

Me too! It’s magical

How did you find a chiropractor to help that or what did you tell them so that these issues could be addressed. Also wondering if acupuncture would work similarly?

@@Melody-sp4ch Hi, I noticed emotions and issues surrounding past and present coming to mind after the adjustments. It is not a special chiropractor, just the chiropractic treatments themselves. It happens in the 24 hours following adjustments. It is like a flood of emotions, and they come spilling out. I am sure my kids are like ??? ! They are young adults now for the most part, but we are in the same home. I warn them by letting them know I had an adjustment. I don't know if acupuncture would do the same. Hmmmm....

Hi @@Melody-sp4ch - Seth here from Team Lyon. Acupuncture may do something similar, it all depends on what someone has been through, what their sensitivity level is, and how much capacity they have. Trauma is held in the body, literally in the tissues and organs as well as the pathways of the nervous system, so it's not uncommon to experience old emotions and sensations related to unresolved trauma when we start manipulating the tissues, or stimulating the nervous system.

oomybeauty I was getting acupuncture 2x a week for Lyme disease and after 2 weeks I cried for days and started to fell myself slipping into isolation. Sleeping all day to avoid crying. I wasn’t “sad” about anything and it didn’t bring back any memories of anything, but it definitely did something. I decided I need to be a little more stable with the Lyme and toxins before I could start doing that again. It was too much at a time.

I wish I would have known this sooner. But thank you & I am glad to know it now. What do you think of self expression through art, writing, journaling?? I have an appointment with an art therapist/ counselor this month.

Hi logicalperson, Seth here from Team Lyon. So sorry to hear about how intense these symptoms are for you. Irene actually did a specific video on waking up in a panic attack which may provide more insight if you haven't already watched it - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dLQOiyWLcHk.html It sounds like you would really benefit from some good somatic, nervous system based trauma healing work! It's never too late to resolve these symptoms and improve our health. I suggest you consider checking out Irene's online programs. Irene offers two different courses. One is a 21 Day Program that you can start at any time. It gives you a comprehensive education so you can fully understand what is happening in your physiology, which is crucial - even knowing and understanding what is happening can bring a lot of relief and change - it also gives you some basic foundational practices so you can start working with your nervous system and applying the education, as well as a private Facebook group staffed by nervous system experts so you can ask questions and share with your peers. Her other program is 12 weeks and only runs once a year - starting soon on March 2. This one is much more comprehensive, with expanded education in the form of live video lectures, loads of practical exercises to work with your system, and lots of support in the form of interactive Q&A's and a private Facebook group also staffed with nervous system experts. You can read more about both below. 21 Day Tuneup - irenelyon.com/tuneup/ SmartBody SmartMind - www.smartbodysmartmind.com/

I don't like talking either! I have similar health problems to you. My brain doesn't help, it's just everything freaking out in me, physical not mental. Just feelings and thoughts I can't grab hold of. I'd like to work on the trauma angle and haven't had luck. Of course, can't really afford much..I'm barely surviving w/ this illness & lack of resources... And i get exhausted fo reading nad trying things and getting nowhere.

Hey I can recommend some things that you should research: LDN (low-dose Naltrexone, an Rx used to treat many diseases, it can HEAL the body, it is used to treat PTSD, see www.ldnresearchtrust.org), TRE www.traumaprevention.com this releases stored trauma from the body, EFT tapping, and vagus nerve exercises -- look these up on RU-vid. You can work with a therapist or you can heal this on your own, but if you ignore it and run from it you will continue to be sick. I've been through all of this.

So glad this provided some insight and answers for you Claudia! This is Seth from Team Lyon. If you want even more amazing education on unresolved trauma and it's effects, definitely consider checking out Irene's free, 3-part Healing Trauma video training, happening now! irenelyon.com/healing-trauma-youtube/

Team Lyon I absolutely will! And, by the way, my therapist was the one who recommended this channel after she'd done some research on ADHD and trauma. I have learned soo much, from Irene, and I've only been subscribed a couple months!!! Thank you!!

Hey Jamie! Nicole here from Team Lyon. So great to hear that you're working your way through SBSM! Hope to see you in there when the next round starts up again in March :)

So glad you are here Deb! This is Seth from Team Lyon. It sounds like you are ready to start doing the healing work which is fantastic! I highly encourage you to check out Irene's free 3-part Healing Trauma video training, happening now. Also, she has two wonderful online programs to help people get started doing the work. I'll put all those link below... Healing Trauma Video Training - irenelyon.com/healing-trauma-youtube/ 21 Day Tuneup - irenelyon.com/tuneup/ SmartBody SmartMind - www.smartbodysmartmind.com/

Hi Mona Pergjegjaj, Jen here from Irene's team. It can be hard for sure. Have you seen Irene's Healing Trauma video series? It can help to put things in perspective. Many people describe it as providing the missing piece to the healing puzzle. I'll link to it here in case you want to check it out. irenelyon.com/healing-trauma

@@teamlyon3109 I appreciate it I will definitely check it out💛

Jen Rich what about it? One can have trauma without a high ACE score. That’s not the only measure of childhood trauma. If we only went by that, then I shouldn’t technically have trauma, but I do

It’s a good place to start

Hi A A, Jen here from Team Lyon. To add to what I just share in another thread, many autoimmune conditions are linked to trauma, and often to early and/or developmental trauma. The way to reconnect differs for everyone, and generally speaking slow and gentle is often the way, especially when we have a chronic disease or condition. The system is already working hard, so we want to introduce change very slowly, to respect the work it's already doing. The steps and techniques are what Irene teaches in her online course and programs, and if aren't doable right now you can start with her free resources. She also offers monthly drop-in classes that are $19 USD per class and you get the recording so you can do it as a practice afterwards too. I'll link to info in case you want to check one out. irenelyon.com/drop-in-class-1

Having CRPS type 2 and certain autonomic dysfunctions, this is very interesting.

Hi Jenna, thanks for being here! This is Seth from Team Lyon. I'm so glad you want to get to the root cause of your symptoms. The way to do that is by doing the work. We need good somatic, nervous system based trauma healing in order to change these things and that means having the right education, tools, and support, all of which you can get by enroling in one of Irene's online programs. You can read more about those here... irenelyon.com/programs/

Get to the root of the anxiety. I struggled HARD with anxiety from the age of 14. Nausea, dizziness, panic attacks, issues sleeping, etc. I dug into the cause of my anxiety, which lead me back to childhood issues. I cleared it (via shamanic practices) released it, and I have been panic attack free for 3 years. I'm sending you so much love and I wish you so much healing on your journey

Lainey Keleher m working on the root cause too do u have some tools that I can include in my healing

I had these same symptoms. Found out my thyroid med was too high. Doctor accidentally prescribed .75. Should have been .50.

Hi Ilah19. Feeling and expressing our emotions is a basic biological need of the human system, and when they flow freely all is good. However, with trauma and chronic stress, especially early in life, the little one's system will often learn to stop themselves from feeling, because it's just too terrifying or exhausting, and the only way the human system can do that is by using the freeze response to numb out. So then everything is often numbed, including the anger/rage/fear/terror spectrum that is associated with fight/flight. When this happens, and the system continues to pack away emotion, and that unresolved survival energy stays stuck, or more trauma happens on top of that, that's when we start to see symptoms arising, and if we don't do the work to resolve the trauma and access all the emotion buried under that freeze those symptoms will get worse. So there is a distinction between emotion and fight/flight/freeze. Sometimes emotions are part of those survival responses, and sometimes those survival responses are used to hold in emotions.

@@teamlyon3109 this is me! Accessing the buried emotions feels impossible at times, meanwhile I keep getting sicker. Can't wait for my breakthrough in healing!

Thanks for sharing Emily! Seth here with Team Lyon. Yes, there are many symptoms such as migraines, that need multiple vectors of support in order to resolve. We do want them to resolve though, not just be something we have to live with. It is totally possible to completely heal migraines and have them simply not happen anymore, and trauma healing and nervous system regulation often play a big part in making that happen.

Hi Nishi Bajaj, Jen here from Team Lyon. I'll link to a RU-vid playlist of Irene's with some exercises. Practical Neurosensory Exercises - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--p60UIgIe-I.html

Hi lv i, Thanks for your feedback. I'll pass your request along. - Jen from Team Lyon

Did you try working on chakras? Or Doing yoga to release this energy stuck at least from the body? If therapy is too triggering

Alessia Honestly, I don’t know much about chakras, I will look into them. Thank you for the suggestion. I practiced yoga years ago, but am too stiff to do most poses. Would Chi Gong or Tai Chi be helpful? Part of the problem is I live with a triggering person in a triggering environment. So kinda working with one arm tied behind my back. Thank you for responding, I really appreciate it.

Emdr is AMAZING

PLEASE look up LDN www.ldnresearchtrust.org it is a compounded drug that is prescribed in small doses (0.5mg to 6mg) to HEAL the body over time. It is used for PTSD, MS, autoimmune diseases, cancer, chronic pain, and fibro. There are 2 LDN books on amazon and tons of research, this drug has been used for decades. A lot of doctors don't know about it or don't want to prescribe it, there are private Facebook groups with more info, and literature you can take to your doctor. You can also find a dr online to prescribe it. And yes, it is absolutely possible to heal. I have c-ptsd, Lyme and Bartonella, I have severe preverbal trauma from when I was a baby and my body is now healing at the age of 41. It is hard, but there is healing.

Bless you. How are you? 🙏🏼

Hi Maria, Seth here with Team Lyon. I don't think Irene has made a video solely about this, but I can tell you it is very common! I think there's a variety of ways to think about this phenomenon. Partially, it does depend on how one understands 'sickness'. For myself, I view all 'colds, viruses, flus' etc.. as either the system undergoing a necessary detoxification process, or we are experiencing the result of a weakened immune system. So, with this lens, in the first case it could be potentially seen as the system cleaning house in an attempt to meet the demand of an activity we actually want to do, or know we need to do, but which triggers us. If this is the case, this could potentially be a more empowering way to interpret it. Or, if the activity is something that we really do NOT want to do, it could be our body is trying to tell us - don't do that! As we move closer to doing this thing we don't actually want to do, this repression of our authentic impulses actually represses the immune system as well, so we get 'sick'. Again though, these ideas come from an understanding of illness that is different than what the western medical model offers.

@@IreneLyon Thank you very much Seth! My intuition and "observing" myself each time it happened made me start considering those theories but I still wanted to check my hunches with Irene's viewpoint (or in this case your viewpoint which is as valuable). Thank you very much! I'll keep being curious every time it happens and hoping I can really listen. Have a great day.

Some things that have worked for me is deep breathing in the moment when I feel triggered, or wound up. Guided meditation is helpful for me when I can't refocus by myself. Self-soothing with massaging my own hands, sometimes coupled with deep breathing (deep full belly expansion breaths). Peter Levine's book Waking the Tiger offers some exercises you can do with yourself, as does Getting Past Your Past, by Francine Shapiro PhD. You can find both books used/good condition for pretty cheap. If you are not a big reader, I bet you can find audio. Peter Levine also has youtube videos posted, and Irene has some stuff posted here as well that is helpful. If you are really struggling, I highly recommend looking into counseling. Most insurance covers counseling, and some even cover somatic or EMDR type work. Again, I hope I'm not overstepped by giving my input. These are just things that have helped me with anxiety and post traumatic stress.

Oh last piece... I had radiation for a brain tumor last year. One of the books I read that really made sense to me was Anatomy of the Spirit. The author offers journaling questions throughout the book to help self realization and emotional healing.

Having the means to put things into motion to begin healing can be something as simple as being here and watching Irene's videos. Education and awareness is a great starting point. So hopefully that feels doable for the person. The will is also key. So. I would recommend by starting with any of Irene's content. 7 Steps to de-stress is a great starting point - irenelyon.com/7-steps-opt-in-IL Hope that helps to start! Nicole - Team Lyon

By means, do you mean money or energy/motivation?

I second Nicole from Team Lyon's comment below. I'm telling you..I can't believe how much movement I've experienced just from the education process alone. I highly recommend watching Irene's videos and taking full advantage of her free resources until your financial situation changes. The awareness that comes with educating yourself about trauma and how it affects you is astounding.

Hi anna4lease 58, Jen here from Team Lyon. What you describe is certainly understandable. Irene has a related video that might be of interest to you, it's about ways to find/create experiences of social engagement without being with people. 4 Ways to Spark up Social Engagement without Socializing - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jDigX6uP89o.html

The best thing to do is to get checked by a doctor to help determine if someone has Lyme disease. If it turns out that the tests are negative and it's more of a "mystery" then working with healing trauma might be a good avenue to venture down to see if that has impact on the symptoms that are arising. If you do have Lyme disease, it's possible that this work could be helpful in contributing to your recovery. Nicole - Team Lyon

In my opinion 100% and I'll tell you why. Going through treatment for Lyme, which my gut tells me and has from day one, (that it's all trauma related) I would talk with other people at treatment centers and I noticed something that was extremely and weirdly common. It's also what I felt all along and still do. Over 90% of the people I talked to were never "bit by a tick" or remembered being bit, EVER... But the one thing they all had in common is that they all went through some kind of trauma. One person was in a swimming accident, numerous went through divorces, some were in car accidents, some lost family members and some were physically assaulted... badly. Trauma. Me, I went through a handful of family deaths, had a horrible time coming off a pharmaceutical drug that I never abused, but had horrible side effects from it and then went through the worst breakup of my life. A month later I had every symptom of lyme, fibro and ms out of nowhere. I never even had a sore knee in my life. I was a very competitive athlete, played in bands that toured and made albums, trained at the gym 5 days a week to extreme pain, brain fog, allergies, gut issues etc. You name it. The reason I believe a lot of people don't get better with lyme treatment is because they're not treating the issue. In my opinion it's related to neuroplasticity, not a bacteria/pathogen etc. These are actual pathways in our brains that need to be rewired. They're physical. But the good thing about it is the brain is plastic. It can be wired and rewired and studies are showing this. Numerous prestigious universities have been doing studies on it and are proving it to be true. Just my two cents. I'm not a Dr, but I believe drs fail to look outside the box anyway. My problem is the money everyone wants to show you how to do this on your own. They talk about how "doctors have lost their way" and "western medicine needs to adapt" but then they charge you ten grand to try their product. Ive been through it for years. I've seen it all. Its all still a business.

@@metalphobos3632 I'm completely with you. Have you managed to get better? Took me a long time to find out that I was already prediposed to falling ill. The brain controls so much and when it's not working right, we're weaker and can't recover. Haven't found my way out yet. I'm barely surviving and everything costs money! The people who need the most help are the people who can't get it.

@@metalphobos3632 this is all very interesting! Would you by any chance hypothesise this may also be the case in genetic diseases like Ehlers Danlos/hypermobility spectrum disorder? Apparently connective tissue disorders are 'rare' but nearly everyone I'm coming across on support forums for my types of symptoms are claiming they have ehlers danlos and the related disorders of POTS/Mast Cell issues/gastroparesis etc etc and I'm sat here wondering if we've turned on these genes through emotional, psychological and physiological traumas (you know such as poor diet, pharmaceuticals, volatile organic compounds from pesticides, plastics etc).

@@metalphobos3632 can I contact you ? I am having the same!

Hi faz Azim, Jen here from Irene's Team. It's great that you're currently working with a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP). Many SEP's have started working online during this time. If you haven't already, you might ask your practitioner if this is an option. If not, you might ask for a referral to someone who is working online currently. Irene's online programs are also powerful for many people in healing trauma. The 21 Day Nervous System Tune Up is her introductory program, you can start this one anytime. SmartBody SmartMind, which next runs in March 2021, provides a deeper dive into nervous system learning and healing. I'll link to both in case you want to check them out, and if you have questions about finding a practitioner just let us know. 21daytuneup.com smartbodysmartmind.com

💜

Thanks I'll have a look

@minaverheijden5616, Jen here from Irene's Team. We're not able to say what will and won't change when people engage with this nervous system work and grow nervous system regulation, and we do find that may mystery symptoms dissipate or even disappear in time. Here's a related video where you can learn a little more : Will this heal my ‘XYZ’? (3-year update from ’21 Day’ student Elisabeth) - irenelyon.com/2023/08/13/will-this-heal-my-xyz-3-year-update-from-21-day-student-elisabeth/ PS If it's a prolonged symptom or you have concerns, it can be prudent to get checked out by a medical practitioner too.

Hi Kelsie Timpe, Jen here from Team Lyon. Sometimes as we do this work are symptoms get worse before they get better, and other times it can be a sign that we may need to slow down - to do what we call titrate and pendulate more - and grow more nervous system capacity. Irene's introductory course is also a great way to learn to do this. I'll link to some related resources. Titration Explained: Never Rush Trauma Healing - irenelyon.com/2020/04/26/titration-explained-never-rush-trauma-healing/ Pendulation: How to Shift Focus to Calm Overwhelm - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4Wbo1LPx-e8.html 21 Day Nervous System Tune Up - 21daytuneup.com

@@IreneLyon thank you so much

Hi Sarah, Seth here with Team Lyon. I wish I had a simple exercise for you! Subconsciously holding the breath a lot is a very common indication of unresolved trauma in the system, and there is no one exercise that resolves that. We need to do the good, somatic, nervous system informed trauma work consistently, and for an extended period of time such that we fundamentally change how we live and relate to ourselves and the world. We need to allow that old survival energy out of our system and restore regulation to the nervous system. All that being said, there are quite a few exercises in Irene's 3 month intensive program, SmartBody SmartMind, that work with the breath in different ways.

@@teamlyon3109 thank you. I will do an Introduction to SE here in Germany soon.

Hi Federico, Seth here with Team Lyon. I'm so sorry to hear how much pain you are living with. IF there is nothing structurally wrong that is causing the pain, and it started after the surgeries, then it is very likely that it is unresolved trauma from the surgeries (plus whatever was unresolved before then) that is keeping this pain stuck in the system. I can't know for sure that's the cause, but it would certainly be worth exploring some somatic trauma therapy. It would be great if you could find someone who has trained with Kathy Kain - either the Touch Skills for Trauma Therapists (TST) or Somatic Resilience and Regulation (SRR). Here is one directory of practitioners, but it doesn't have everyone - coregulatingtouch.com/find-a-practitioner/ If you can't find anyone in your area in the database above, I recommend watching this video first, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-04XF7ANnqGk.html , then looking up Somatic Experiencing Practitioners in your area. Also, here is an international directory - may SEPs also have the TST or SRR training as well, for look for those in their credentials. directory.traumahealing.org/ finally, it's possible Osteopathic work could be helpful, depending on the practitioner and how skilled they are.

Irene is the most to the point teacher I’ve ever witnessed

Hi Nana Neumann, Jen here from Team Lyon. Racing terror and shame can be ways that survival energies show up, and sleepiness can be due to a few things. In this work, common causes can be that the system is tired from being in survival and/or that the system is in freeze/conservation physiology which can show up as tiredness. Growing nervous system regulation often helps with all that you mentioned. I don't have experience with vagal nerve stimulators so can't speak to that. If you haven't seen Irene's free Healing Trauma video series, it's full of related info. You might find more answers there. free Healing Trauma video series - irenelyon.com/healing-trauma

@@IreneLyon thx for the link/resource. Just signed up..

Hi Logie, Seth here from Team Lyon. Sorry we missed your comment til now. Yes, you are certainly in the right place. If you are ready to heal then I suggest continuing to watch Irene's educational videos here on RU-vid, as just understanding what is happening inside us can start to shift things. Then, if you're ready to start doing the work there are many options. You can try to find a good Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, though please know that they are few and far between right now as the work itself is relatively new (developed in the 70's by Peter Levine), and also many practitioners who go through the training still don't understand how to apply it. That's one of the reason Irene created her online suite of content, so definitely check out her free resources and consider joining one of her drop in classes or paid programs. I'll put a bunch of links below that may be helpful for you. How to find a good Somatic Practitioner - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-04XF7ANnqGk.html Free Resources - irenelyon.com/free-resources-2/ Sample Neurosensory Exercises - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--p60UIgIe-I.html Drop In Class - irenelyon.com/drop-in-class-1 21 Day Tune Up - 21daytuneup.com/

Hi Rafa, It can very easily be applied to other chronic or terminal illness. To put it simple when our system is busy surviving it leaves less resources to protect us or fight off illnesses. If you haven't already, I would suggest checking out the Healing Trauma Series for some more insight - irenelyon.com/healing-trauma

Hi Maggs Paine, Seth here from Team Lyon. In my professional opinion that's a false statement! It's never too late to heal from unresolved trauma. It may take longer and be a slower process if it's been sitting in us for a long time, but it can still totally be done. Definitely consider checking out Irene's online programs! Irene offers two different courses. One is a 21 Day Program that you can start at any time. It gives you a comprehensive education so you can fully understand what is happening in your physiology, which is crucial - even knowing and understanding what is happening can bring a lot of relief and change - it also gives you some basic foundational practices so you can start working with your nervous system and applying the education, as well as a private Facebook group staffed by nervous system experts so you can ask questions and share with your peers. Her other program is 12 weeks and only runs once a year - starting soon on March 2. This one is much more comprehensive, with expanded education in the form of live video lectures, loads of practical exercises to work with your system, and lots of support in the form of interactive Q&A's and a private Facebook group also staffed with nervous system experts. You can read more about both of these offerings here... 21 Day Tuneup - irenelyon.com/tuneup/ SmartBody SmartMind - www.smartbodysmartmind.com/

@@teamlyon3109 wow,thanks for this positive information x

There is no false memory. Whoever told you that is a horrible doctor. Please find a better doctor or research how to heal on your own. I'm sorry you were told that. I completed dissociated my trauma memories, they were blocked off in my brain (for good reason). I have severely painful somatic flashbacks now as my body works to heal at the age of 41. My trauma is preverbal, from when I was a baby.

HI exo x, Jen here from Team Lyon. That can be the case for sure, and one of the great things about this work is that when we do the work to heal our own trauma, the effects ripple out in all directions - to our children, our parents, others in our life, and beyond. One of the many reasons to do it!

Please don't have children if you have mental health issues that can be passed down. It's selfish.