How Childhood Trauma and Adverse Experiences Can Affect Adult Health
Oct 23, 2026
Understanding the connection between early life experiences, stress hormones, immune function, chronic illness, and the body's capacity for resilience
By Dr. Margaret Christensen, MD
Can Experiences From Childhood Affect Your Health Decades Later?
Have you ever wondered whether difficult experiences from childhood could still be affecting your health as an adult?
Perhaps you grew up in a household filled with conflict, uncertainty, or emotional distress. Maybe you experienced neglect, abuse, or the loss of someone important to you.
Or perhaps your childhood seemed relatively normal, but you learned early in life to remain constantly alert, take care of others, or suppress your own emotions.
Years later, you may find yourself struggling with anxiety, sleep disturbances, chronic pain, digestive symptoms, or other health concerns.
Could these experiences be connected?
Over the course of my career as an obstetrician-gynecologist and functional medicine physician, I became increasingly interested in how our physical health interacts with our emotional experiences, relationships, and personal histories.
I came to appreciate that a patient's medical story often begins long before the first recognizable symptoms appear.
Our early experiences can influence how we respond to stress, develop relationships, and regulate important physiological systems throughout life.
This doesn't mean that childhood trauma causes every chronic illness. It certainly doesn't mean that people are responsible for their health problems because of what happened to them.
Instead, it means that understanding a person's experiences may provide valuable insight into their health—and into opportunities for support and recovery.
One important area of research exploring these connections is the study of Adverse Childhood Experiences, commonly called ACEs.
1. What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?
Adverse Childhood Experiences are potentially traumatic or stressful events occurring before age 18.
The original ACE research examined experiences involving abuse, neglect, and family or household difficulties.
Examples include:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
- Physical or emotional neglect.
- Exposure to violence within the household.
- Living with family members experiencing serious substance-use problems.
- Living with family members experiencing certain mental health difficulties.
- Separation or other major disruptions involving caregivers.
- Having a family member incarcerated.
Researchers have since examined additional forms of adversity, including community violence, discrimination, housing instability, and other childhood stressors.
What Is an ACE Score?
The traditional ACE questionnaire assigns points based on certain categories of adverse experiences.
A higher score indicates exposure to more categories.
Research has found that groups with higher ACE scores tend to experience greater risks for certain health and social difficulties later in life.
However, an ACE score is not a medical diagnosis or a prediction of an individual's future.
Two people with the same score may have very different health outcomes.
The timing, duration, severity, and context of experiences matter. So do supportive relationships, resources, genetics, and events occurring later in life.
A childhood history should never be treated as the sole explanation for someone's illness.
2. How Does the Body Respond to Stress?
To understand why early experiences may influence adult health, we need to understand the body's stress-response systems.
Stress itself is not always harmful.
When we encounter danger, our bodies have mechanisms designed to help us respond quickly.
The Fight-or-Flight Response
Imagine stepping off a sidewalk and suddenly noticing an approaching vehicle.
Almost immediately, your heart begins beating faster.
Your breathing changes.
Your muscles prepare to move.
Your attention becomes sharply focused.
These reactions involve the autonomic nervous system and the release of stress-related chemical messengers, including adrenaline and noradrenaline.
The brain's threat-processing networks, including the amygdala, help identify potentially dangerous situations.
This response can be lifesaving.
The HPA Axis: A Second Stress-Response System
Another important pathway is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, commonly abbreviated as the HPA axis.
This system connects regions of the brain with hormone-producing glands.
During a stress response, signaling begins in the hypothalamus.
The pituitary gland releases adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which stimulates cortisol production by the adrenal glands.
Cortisol helps regulate energy availability, metabolism, immune activity, and other physiological functions.
Under ordinary circumstances, these processes are regulated through feedback mechanisms.
What Happens With Repeated or Prolonged Stress?
When stress is persistent or frequently repeated, the body's regulatory systems may adapt.
Researchers have observed associations between chronic adversity and changes in stress responsiveness, cortisol patterns, and autonomic nervous-system activity.
The effects are not identical in every person.
Some individuals may demonstrate heightened responses, while others show different patterns of adaptation.
The important concept is that stress regulation is dynamic, and experiences over time can influence how these systems respond.
3. The Connection Between Childhood Trauma and Adult Inflammation
One of the most interesting areas of research concerns the relationship between early adversity and inflammatory signaling.
Inflammation is a normal and necessary part of immune function.
It helps the body respond to infections, injuries, and other threats.
Problems may arise when inflammatory processes become excessive, persistent, or improperly regulated.
How Stress Signaling and Immunity Interact
The nervous, endocrine, and immune systems constantly communicate.
Stress-related signaling can influence immune-cell activity and the production of inflammatory messengers.
Researchers have studied pathways involving nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), cytokines, glucocorticoid signaling, and other components of immune regulation.
Some studies have found associations between childhood adversity and altered inflammatory markers in adulthood.
These findings help explain why early-life stress has become an important subject in psychoneuroimmunology—the study of relationships among the nervous, psychological, and immune systems.
Does Childhood Trauma Cause Autoimmune Disease?
The relationship is more complicated than a simple cause-and-effect statement.
Some population studies have linked childhood adversity with an increased risk of certain chronic health conditions.
However, autoimmune diseases involve many contributing factors, including genetics, immune regulation, infections, and other environmental influences.
A history of trauma does not establish that trauma caused an individual's autoimmune condition.
Nor does the absence of trauma exclude stress-related influences on health.
Why Margaret Considers This Important
In my functional medicine work, I learned to consider a person's physical findings alongside their emotional and environmental history.
For some patients, understanding persistent stress and life experiences provides important context for their symptoms and health behaviors.
I believe these connections deserve thoughtful attention without reducing the complexity of chronic illness to one explanation.
4. Can Early Trauma Influence the Nervous System Long-Term?
The brain continues developing throughout childhood and adolescence.
Experiences during these periods may influence emotional regulation, attention, stress responsiveness, and relationships.
Researchers have studied changes involving neural circuits associated with threat detection, memory, and behavioral regulation.
The Amygdala and Threat Detection
The amygdala participates in identifying emotionally significant and potentially threatening information.
It works with other brain regions to regulate attention, memory, and emotional responses.
Certain experiences may contribute to heightened vigilance or greater sensitivity to perceived threats.
For someone who grew up in an unpredictable environment, remaining alert may once have been an adaptive response.
Later in life, however, persistent vigilance can become exhausting.
The Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex participates in planning, attention, decision-making, and aspects of emotional regulation.
It works together with other brain regions when evaluating situations and responding to stress.
Chronic adversity has been associated with differences in some neural and cognitive processes, although these findings vary considerably among individuals.
The Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system helps regulate involuntary functions such as heart rate, digestion, and aspects of breathing.
It includes sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways.
Persistent stress may influence how these systems operate.
Some people experience symptoms such as palpitations, gastrointestinal discomfort, muscle tension, or difficulty relaxing.
These symptoms can have many possible medical causes and deserve appropriate evaluation.
Understanding stress physiology may provide additional context, but it should not replace investigation of other conditions.
5. The Mind-Body Connection: Lessons From Obstetrics
My interest in the mind-body relationship developed partly through my experience caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth.
Birth is a remarkable physiological process.
But it is also an experience influenced by emotions, relationships, expectations, and the environment in which a woman receives care.
In Birthing a Better Way: 12 Secrets for Natural Childbirth, coauthored with Kalena Cook, we explored how emotional safety and supportive relationships can influence the childbirth experience.
The Concept of Psychological Dystocia
One concept I discussed is psychological dystocia.
In obstetrics, dystocia generally refers to difficult or abnormally slow labor progression.
Traditional clinical evaluation considers factors involving uterine contractions, fetal position and size, and maternal anatomy.
Some holistic childbirth practitioners also consider emotional distress, fear, and related factors that may influence a woman's experience of labor.
I came to believe that emotional and relational circumstances deserve attention when caring for women who are struggling during childbirth.
However, labor difficulties have many medical causes. Emotional distress should never automatically be assumed to explain a stalled labor.
A woman should never be blamed for a difficult birth because she was afraid or had experienced trauma.
A Lesson That Extends Beyond Childbirth
What I learned through obstetrics influenced how I approached other health concerns.
Patients often bring their entire life history into the clinical setting, whether or not that history is immediately visible.
Someone who has experienced frightening medical encounters may have difficulty trusting healthcare professionals.
Someone who learned to suppress their own needs may struggle to ask questions or express concerns.
A person with a history of trauma may find certain examinations or procedures especially distressing.
Recognizing these possibilities allows healthcare professionals to provide more respectful, individualized care.
6. Why Listening to a Patient's Story Matters
One of my strongest beliefs is that meaningful healthcare begins with listening.
A medical record can describe diagnoses, medications, laboratory findings, and procedures.
But it may not reveal what a person has endured, how they understand their illness, or what they fear most.
The Story Behind the Symptoms
Imagine someone who has struggled with chronic symptoms for several years.
They may have undergone repeated medical evaluations without finding a complete explanation.
During an appointment, they begin describing not only symptoms but also major life events, stressful circumstances, and previous experiences with healthcare.
These details may help the clinician recognize patterns or understand barriers to treatment.
Sometimes the most useful information emerges because someone finally has enough time to tell their story.
Storytelling as a Form of Connection
Throughout my writing and teaching, I have described storytelling as an ancient and meaningful part of human healing traditions.
Sharing experiences may help individuals feel understood, develop perspective, and build supportive relationships.
Being heard does not automatically resolve trauma or cure physical illness.
But it can strengthen trust, improve communication, and support a more collaborative therapeutic relationship.
What Trauma-Informed Listening Looks Like
A clinician practicing trauma-informed care may:
- Ask permission before discussing sensitive experiences.
- Explain the purpose of personal questions.
- Allow the patient to decline or postpone discussions.
- Respect boundaries and privacy.
- Avoid assuming that trauma explains physical symptoms.
- Provide appropriate referrals when specialized psychological care would be beneficial.
Patients should not have to disclose painful details in order to receive respectful medical treatment.
7. What Is Trauma-Informed Healthcare?
Trauma-informed healthcare recognizes that some people have experienced events that influence their sense of safety, trust, and control.
Rather than assuming trauma is present in every patient, this approach creates conditions intended to reduce unnecessary distress.
The Core Principles
Trauma-informed care commonly emphasizes:
Safety: Patients should feel physically and emotionally respected.
Trust: Professionals should communicate clearly and follow through on reasonable expectations.
Choice: Patients should understand their options and have meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions.
Collaboration: The healthcare relationship should involve shared understanding and respectful communication.
Empowerment: Patients' strengths, preferences, and autonomy should be recognized.
Why Consent Is Especially Important
For someone with a history of trauma, certain physical examinations or invasive procedures may be distressing.
Explaining what will happen and asking permission can make a significant difference.
These practices are valuable for all patients, regardless of whether they have disclosed a trauma history.
Trauma-Informed Care Is Not the Same as Trauma Therapy
A healthcare professional can use trauma-informed communication without providing psychological treatment.
When someone has significant trauma-related symptoms, an appropriately trained mental health professional may be needed.
This distinction protects patients from being encouraged to undertake intensive emotional processing without suitable support.
8. Neuroplasticity: Can the Nervous System Change?
An encouraging aspect of neuroscience is the recognition that the nervous system retains the capacity to adapt throughout life.
This ability is called neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity involves changes in the structure, strength, and activity of neural connections.
It plays a role in learning, memory, skill development, and adaptation.
Why This Matters for People With Trauma Histories
Patterns of stress responses and behavior are not necessarily fixed permanently.
People can learn new coping skills, develop supportive relationships, and benefit from appropriate psychological treatments.
Neuroplasticity helps explain why therapeutic learning and behavioral change are possible.
However, it does not mean that every chronic illness can be reversed simply by changing thought patterns.
Approaches That May Help
Different individuals benefit from different forms of support.
Some evidence-based psychological therapies, including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), may be appropriate for particular trauma-related conditions.
Other practices may support relaxation, emotional regulation, or general well-being.
These can include mindfulness, breathing exercises, physical activity when appropriate, creative activities, and meaningful social connection.
The effectiveness and suitability of specific approaches vary.
9. Margaret's Perspective on Mind-Body Practices
In my professional and personal work, I became interested in several approaches that may help people develop greater awareness of their bodies and responses to stress.
These include meditation, guided imagery, breathing techniques, and selected biofeedback methods.
Meditation and Centering
Meditation practices can involve focusing attention on breathing, a word, a phrase, or another chosen object.
Some people use secular mindfulness approaches.
Others prefer practices connected to religious or spiritual traditions.
In my childbirth writing, I described examples of women using rhythmic meditation and personally meaningful words to help maintain focus during labor.
The same general principle—directing attention deliberately—can be useful in other stressful situations.
Breathwork
Slow, comfortable breathing may help some individuals manage acute stress or anxiety.
Different methods have different physiological effects, and forceful breathing exercises are not suitable for everyone.
Gentle techniques should be adapted to the person's health and comfort.
Heart Rate Variability and Biofeedback
Heart rate variability, or HRV, describes variation in the time intervals between heartbeats.
It is influenced by autonomic regulation and other physiological factors.
Some biofeedback approaches use HRV measurements to teach breathing and self-regulation skills.
Practitioners should distinguish improvements in a measured biofeedback parameter from proof that a chronic medical condition has been reversed.
Spiritual Practices and Personal Meaning
For some people, spiritual traditions offer comfort, structure, and a sense of purpose.
Others find meaning through relationships, creativity, nature, or community service.
These practices should reflect personal beliefs and preferences.
There is no requirement to follow a particular spiritual framework to receive compassionate healthcare.
10. The Role of Relationships and Community
Childhood adversity sometimes occurs within relationships that should have provided safety and stability.
Later supportive relationships may therefore be especially meaningful.
Trusted friends, family members, counselors, mentors, and communities can help people develop belonging and practical support.
Why Social Connection Matters
Supportive relationships may help people cope with stress, manage daily responsibilities, and seek appropriate care.
Research has found associations between social relationships and numerous health outcomes.
However, supportive relationships are not a guaranteed treatment for medical illness.
Their value includes emotional support, practical assistance, and opportunities to learn and connect.
Sharing Experiences Safely
Some people benefit from groups where they can discuss challenges with others who have similar experiences.
Others prefer individual conversations.
There is no single correct way to process difficult life events.
People should have control over what they disclose and when they disclose it.
Education and Self-Advocacy
Education can help people understand how stress physiology and lifestyle factors relate to health.
It can also help them communicate more confidently with healthcare professionals.
Structured educational communities, including programs such as Mentored Healing, may provide opportunities for learning and peer connection.
These communities do not replace psychotherapy or individualized medical care.
11. Practical Steps for Building Resilience
If you're concerned that early experiences may be influencing your current well-being, you don't need to begin by making dramatic changes.
Small, realistic steps can be useful.
Step 1: Recognize Patterns Without Blaming Yourself
Consider whether certain circumstances consistently contribute to stress or discomfort.
You do not need to establish that every symptom has an emotional origin.
Simply developing awareness may help you communicate more effectively with healthcare professionals.
Step 2: Prioritize Safety and Support
Support may involve trusted relationships, appropriate medical care, counseling, or practical changes in your environment.
If you are currently experiencing abuse or threats to your safety, immediate safety planning and specialized support should take priority.
Step 3: Consider Professional Trauma Support
If traumatic experiences are causing intrusive memories, avoidance, significant anxiety, or other distress, consider consulting a licensed mental health professional trained in trauma-related care.
Treatment should proceed at a pace appropriate for you.
Step 4: Explore Gentle Self-Regulation Practices
Some people find breathing exercises, mindfulness, or other relaxation practices helpful.
Choose methods that feel comfortable.
Discontinue practices that increase distress and seek professional guidance when necessary.
Step 5: Build Meaningful Connections
Consider opportunities for supportive social interaction.
That might include trusted friends, family, a community group, or structured educational programs.
Meaningful connection does not require sharing personal trauma.
Step 6: Set Realistic Goals
Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life, choose one manageable action.
For example, you might establish a consistent bedtime routine, arrange a counseling appointment, or take time for a relaxing activity.
Review your progress and adjust as needed.
12. Questions to Ask a Trauma-Informed Healthcare Professional
When selecting a healthcare professional, consider asking:
- How do you incorporate trauma-informed principles into patient care?
- How do you obtain consent before examinations or sensitive discussions?
- Can I decline questions that feel too personal?
- How do you distinguish stress-related symptoms from medical conditions requiring investigation?
- What support is available if I become distressed during an appointment?
- Do you collaborate with qualified mental health professionals?
- How do you approach patients who have experienced difficult or dismissive healthcare encounters?
- Will I be involved in decisions about my care?
The answers may help you determine whether the professional's approach aligns with your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does childhood trauma cause chronic illness?
Childhood adversity has been associated with increased risks for certain physical and mental health conditions.
However, those associations do not mean trauma is the cause of any particular individual's illness.
Health is influenced by numerous biological, environmental, social, and other factors.
Can trauma affect the immune system?
Stress-related biological pathways interact with immune regulation.
Research has found associations between certain adverse experiences and changes in inflammatory signaling.
The effects vary, and no single immune marker can establish that childhood trauma caused an individual's symptoms.
What does a high ACE score mean?
It indicates that a person reports exposure to more categories of adverse childhood experiences on the questionnaire.
It does not diagnose disease or predict an individual's future with certainty.
Can childhood trauma affect digestion?
Stress and nervous-system signaling can influence gastrointestinal function and symptom perception.
However, persistent gastrointestinal symptoms require appropriate medical evaluation rather than automatically being attributed to trauma.
Is the HPA axis permanently damaged by trauma?
Not necessarily.
Stress-regulation patterns vary among individuals and can change over time.
The phrase "adrenal exhaustion" should not be treated as a proven diagnosis merely because someone has experienced prolonged stress.
Can neuroplasticity help someone recover from trauma?
Neuroplasticity contributes to learning and adaptation.
Evidence-based psychological treatments can help many people with trauma-related symptoms.
However, nervous-system exercises are not established cures for every physical illness.
Do I need to remember or uncover childhood trauma to heal?
No.
People do not need to recover hidden memories or disclose painful experiences to receive compassionate medical care.
Trauma-related treatment, when appropriate, should be provided by qualified professionals.
What if I don't have childhood trauma but still have chronic illness?
Many chronic illnesses develop in people without significant childhood adversity.
A trauma history is not required to explain a medical condition.
Appropriate medical investigation remains essential.
How can I support someone who experienced childhood trauma?
Listen without judgment, respect boundaries, avoid pressuring them to disclose details, and offer practical support.
Encourage professional help when appropriate.
Can I improve my health even if my childhood was difficult?
Yes. Childhood adversity does not determine every aspect of adult health.
Supportive relationships, medical care, psychological treatment when indicated, and sustainable lifestyle practices can contribute to well-being.
Final Thoughts: Your History Matters, but It Does Not Define Your Future
One of the most important lessons I've learned through medicine is that every patient has a story.
That story includes physical experiences, medical conditions, relationships, challenges, and personal strengths.
For some people, childhood adversity is an important part of understanding their adult health.
For others, different factors are more relevant.
The purpose of exploring these connections is not to search for blame or assume that every illness begins with unresolved emotions.
It is to develop a more complete understanding of the person.
Our experiences can influence us, but they do not determine everything about our future.
Compassionate, trauma-informed healthcare recognizes both the reality of difficult experiences and the possibility of resilience and growth.
Good medical care should make room for both.
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About the Author
Dr. Margaret Christensen, MD, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and functional medicine physician whose work includes women's health, clinical education, and whole-person approaches to complex chronic illness.
Her educational philosophy emphasizes listening to patients, understanding the relationships among biological and emotional experiences, and supporting informed healthcare decisions.
Educational Disclaimer
This article explores relationships among early life adversity, stress physiology, and adult health.
Population-level associations do not establish that trauma caused any individual's medical condition. Clinical observations and emerging mechanisms are discussed as educational perspectives rather than universal explanations.
The material does not replace individualized medical evaluation or qualified mental health care.
Primary Source Material
- Christensen M. Modifiable Lifestyle Factors. Chapter 40, in Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy.
- Cook K, Christensen M. Birthing a Better Way: 12 Secrets for Natural Childbirth. University of North Texas Press, 2010.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Adverse Childhood Experiences.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach.