What does trauma have to do with PCOS and hormone issues?
Before we dive into the impact that trauma can have on health conditions like PCOS and hormonal issues. It’s important to understand what trauma is. When we talk about trauma, this doesn’t have to be major trauma by the way, in fact it is defined in various ways:
“Trauma is anything that causes us to disconnect from ourselves, our sense of value, and from the present moment” - Gabor Maté.
“Trauma is any circumstance or perception that causes you to lose connection with your lovability, your value, and your right place in the world” - Karen Curry Parker.
I do really like these definitions of trauma because they are more inclusive and demonstrate that we really all do experience some sort of trauma that can knock us out of balance. Trauma is essentially energy stuck in the body.
It can come from experiences in childhood around rejection, fear, panic, feeling unseen, unloved or unheard, etc. Trauma can affect our DNA, stress response, hormones, and our nervous and immune systems. The science of epigenetics demonstrates that trauma creates biological change, which can last for generations.
Trauma can show up in adults as:
Codependency
Skin problems
Insomnia
Depression
Anxiety
Period problems
Stubborn weight
Self sabotage
Low libido
Fear of intimacy
Eating disorders
Being over controlling
Attracting toxic relationships
Feelings of inadequacy, and unworthiness
People-pleasing
perfectionist tendencies
in-sufficient self-care
denial of pleasure
victim hood
Etc etc etc
Memories and experiences and the emotions associated with them are encoded in tissues and organs of our bodies, not just in our brains. At some key moment, these limiting ideas become physicalized - they become physical symptoms that challenge us to examine ourselves and our lives. Disease is a signal to look for imbalance in our lives, to re-evaluate where we are, and where we are going.
The first chakra
The chakra system, represents energy centers in the body that interact with various physiological and neurological systems in the body. The chakras demonstrate how our energetic imbalances can show up physically in the body.
The 1st chakra, also known as the root chakra, is all about safety, this is the foundation. Safety is at the very bottom of essential human needs, it always starts here. Common physical symptoms of root chakra blockages relate to the lower parts of the body. Amongst other signs, the most occurring ones are:
Lower back pain
Eating disorders
Obesity
Constipation
Kidney stones
Bladder problems
Leg issues
Cramps
Colon issues
Fatigue
Sluggishness
Urinary issues
The hormone connection
Not feeling safe in your body can increase cortisol which can increase androgens, infertility, weight gain, etc.
When the female body does not feel safe hormonal balance is not possible.
The HPO axis is the major regulator of the female reproductive system. Fluctuations in this axis cause changes in the hormones produced by each gland and have systemic effects on the body. It involves the hypothalamus which is a gland in your brain that controls your hormone system. The hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which stimulates the pituitary gland. The Pituitary gland, a gland situated at the base of your brain, secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in response to GnRH. The pituitary gland is often called the master gland because it controls many other hormone glands in your body, including the thyroid, adrenals, and ovaries.
The ovaries form part of the female reproductive system. Their two main functions are producing eggs for fertilization and the hormones; estrogen and progesterone.
When the HPA axis (the stress response system) is activated, your stress response has kicked in. This activation affects your whole body. The HPA axis activation effectively halts the HPO axis, known as the reproductive axis, and many other body systems in order to conserve energy and protect you. Stress can thus effectively stop you from ovulating and as a result, menstrual periods may stop or become irregular.
HPO axis dysfunction can show up as:
Pear shaped body. You will collect fat around the hips, thighs and buttocks
Sweet or salty cravings
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Anxiety
Tired and wired
Depression
Hirsutism
Estrogen dominance - increased estrogen levels relative to progesterone levels
PCOS
PMS
The second chakra
Reproductive issues like PCOS, infertility, cysts, PMS, etc are connected to issues in the womb and are particularly associated with the 2nd chakra energy system. The 2nd chakra is also called the Sacral chakra. Common physical signs of sacral chakra imbalance involve the kidneys and reproductive organs. Symptoms associated with 2nd chakra blockages include:
Urinary issues
Kidney and bladder problems
Gynecological problems
Lower back pain
Sexual dysfunction
Low libido
Menstrual cramps
Lower-back pain
Emotional pain around sexuality, relationships, money, intimacy, creativity, power, and control issues are also stored here.
The third chakra
The third chakra is located at the navel. It is the center for your personal power and self-esteem, and is associated with your ability to master your thoughts and emotions. Common physical signs of Solar Plexus chakra imbalances involve the digestive system. Some of the most common symptoms may include:
Eating disorders
Digestive system issues
Fatigue
Hot or cold body temperature
Asthma
Infection in the liver or kidneys
This is why only focusing on your PCOS diagnosis or your hormonal symptoms and NOT the whole person, can be very disempowering and even harmful because we can easily take on this identity and become the victim of it. We also miss a lot of what is going on under the surface. This is why it’s so important to not only address the physical influences of disease but also the mental, energetic, and emotional aspects which are very often overlooked. Too often we only look at the physical, and maybe the mental but rarely all of them.
You can keep doing all of the physical therapies, follow the perfect diet, and take the best supplements, but if you still have trauma stored in your body and subconscious belief systems that oppose what you want, if you don’t release the dense heavy and stuck energies they can continue to not only block what you want but also cause imbalances in the body and stall true healing.
This is often the missing piece especially if you have done all of the physical stuff and still feel stuck or limited.
This is why I created Fem Harmony, my 1:1 program for women with PCOS who want to heal holistically, at the root. This program supports you in overcoming hormonal imbalances by addressing the root causes while creating the most intuitive relationship with your body and your feminine essence.
If you would like to learn more you can click here for all of the details and to sign up.