How Trauma Affects Hormone Health in Women| Connecting the Dots

It’s no secret that hormone health is a major concern for many women, particularly those who suffer from conditions such as PCOS, fibroids, PMS, heavy periods, painful period cramps, hormonal acne, and more. While there are many contributing factors to consider when addressing these issues (as I discussed in THIS previous post), one of the lesser talked-about elements is unresolved trauma. In this blog post, we’ll explore how unresolved trauma can impact women’s hormone health.

Unresolved trauma has a direct impact on both stress hormones and sex hormones in our bodies. Studies have shown that traumatic experiences can cause long-term changes in brain structure and chemical responses–changes that can then lead to hormonal imbalances. But how does this happen?

How Trauma Impacts Hormones?

One way is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This is the system in our bodies responsible for releasing hormones related to stress levels. Adrenaline and cortisol are key players here, with adrenaline being released in response to intense physical or emotional stressors while cortisol helps regulate the body’s response to them. When unresolved trauma is present, however, the HPA axis becomes dysregulated–it overreacts or underreacts–causing an imbalance between these two hormones. This can lead to further symptoms such as period problems, fatigue, low libido, mood swings, insomnia, weight gain/loss, etc., all of which can be associated with hormone imbalances.

Another way unresolved trauma affects hormone health is through its effects on the nervous system. The hypothalamus–which controls hunger levels and body temperature–and the pituitary gland –which releases growth hormones–are both part of the nervous system and, therefore, affected by unresolved trauma as well. In fact, one of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. This disruption can then lead to even more problems like infertility or irregular menstrual cycles, as well as depression and anxiety.

Related Blog Posts: Connection to Trauma and Autoimmune Disease

Related Blog Post: Unresolved Trauma: The Hidden Root Cause of Chronic Disease

Related Blog Post: Nervous System, Trauma and Gut Health: What’s The Connection?

What is Unresolved Trauma?

As Gabor Mate says, trauma isn’t about what happens to us but rather what happens inside of us as a result of what happened to us. Trauma can include certain things that happened to us that we needed but didn’t get (attention, love, safety, sense of worthiness, and more), and it can be passed along from generation to generation. So we actually don’t have to go through a traumatic experience per se for it to be impacting us. There are a growing number of studies that support the idea that the effects of trauma can reverberate down the generations through epigenetics. Life is traumatic. So, even with clients who don’t believe trauma is part of their story, once we dig a bit deeper, we usually see it playing in their lives and health in some way.

Unresolved trauma isn’t something that should be overlooked when it comes to discussing women’s hormone health; it’s an important factor that needs to be addressed if we want to truly understand and address our symptoms effectively. For women struggling with hormonal imbalances due to unresolved trauma, seeking professional help from a women’s wellness practitioner who is trauma-informed and utilizes a mind, body, and spirit approach may be beneficial in order to provide targeted treatment tailored specifically for you while empowering you to become your own best self-healer.

Minerals, Trauma and Hormones: What’s the Connection?

Countless women suffer from hormone imbalances of all kinds.

I was one of those woman. For years, I struggled with hormonal acne and heavy, painful periods, not knowing that these were symptoms of deeper factors. I tried every topical cream out there, saw a dermatologist who recommended medication, and ultimately used birth control pills in an effort to get relief. Not knowing this was ultimately going to cause more problems than be the solution.

Fast forward many years, and I ended up being diagnosed with a fibroid and later PCOS. I was told birth control was the “fix,” yet I was already taking BCPs.

So, I decided to get off the pill and take matters into my own hands to heal from the inside and become my own best self-healer. It has taken me many years to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, but it has been the best journey I could have ever taken!

Here is what I want you to know…

Energy is the foundation of life. Without adequate energy in the system, cells cannot perform their jobs.

Minerals are catalysts. They interact with ALL chemical compounds to initiate all health-promoting cellular processes, with energy production at the top of the list.

Hormones are chemical compounds that play lead roles in the orchestra, creating the symphony of biochemical processes that regulate the body.

The nervous system is the master regulator of both physiology and psychology. When it becomes dysregulated, so do all bodily processes—much like an airport would be if the air traffic control tower went down. The gut, brain, endocrine, and detox functions take the biggest hits.

The impact of trauma lives throughout the body and nervous system, where it causes short circuitry or perhaps total blackouts at times.

Trauma depletes and deranges minerals, and mineral deficiency and derangement perpetuate the impact of trauma.

The more deficient and/or deranged our minerals are, the more toxic elements we accumulate. High toxic burden further diminishes cellular function, including HORMONE PRODUCTION.

How to Get Support?

If you are a motivated self-healer or women’s wellness coach or practitioner, it is important to become trauma-informed. The Wellness Code Academy practitioner certification program is a dynamic, trauma-informed, beyond-the-biochemical, and truly holistic coaching system that takes…

This is the deepest dive ever into healing the gut, brain, nervous system, and mitochondria. It also taps into the power of the subconscious mind to support healing the psyche. Learn more HERE.

Learn more about my approach with clients: My Health and Healing Philosophy.

I believe ANY HEALING JOURNEY ultimately needs to involve addressing BOTH the body and the mind in the proper way and in the proper order, which will be highly individual.  

It is also a huge reason why I see many feel stuck on their own healing journeys: this concept hasn’t been adequately acknowledged, understood, or addressed.