Childhood Trauma

As far as childhood, I wasn't exactly abused, more neglected, but I did go through a lot of trauma at an early age. I rebounded very well though and grew into a pretty healthy, productive adult.

That all changed after I had my second daughter. And when I think back on it, I was under an EXTREME amount of stress during my pregnancy and the first few years after I had her. With my first daughter I had very little stress and I was in a very happy, peaceful place. I had a c-sec with her, and healed wonderfully. Even more, the endometriosis I previously had went away (this can happen with pregnancy.)

But with my second daughter, it was totally different story. My pregnancy was really hard on me, I was sick all the time, and I believe this was when my pelvic floor dysfunction started. With all the stress I did not heal well from my c-sec. And within a year I had developed IC, and I didn't know it at the time but I had severe pelvic adhesions spreading all throughout my abdomen and I started having Fibro symptoms. So when I think back to that time and wonder how did this happen, how did I suddenly develop so many health problems all at once, I can't help but think all the stress coupled with what my body went through with my pregnancy and c-sec was what led to all of this.

So personally I do believe trauma, be it mental emotional, etc, coupled with a physical trauma is definitely a contributing factor!

This is such an interesting topic. Sherrine, I don't recall, did you have physical trauma that might have brought this on?

i didn't have physical trauma. I did have Crohn's disease but many have that and don't develop Fibro so I don't think that plays into anything.

I was just watching a sitcom with my husband and the pain started. Go figure!

Sherrine

In line with my thinking that we're just extremely sensitive/perceptive......maybe we were challenging children?? I know I was probably ADD, but I think I had some sweet qualities......but my father treated me with such disgust. But maybe I was just a handful? .......maybe someone else (a different child) would haven't been so frustrating? Its hard to sort out. I know that my children were challenging too, but they always knew I loved them and that they were very worthwhile, wonderful people.
I'm thinking of some POWs who are treated a certain way, and it definitely influences their lives in a big way, once they are free. So imagine certain things being done to a child, when they are most impressionable.
It's a pretty complex topic, for sure!
Sort of a bit off topic.......I have been too hungry my whole life. It's such a burden. But then one day my mother said (when she found out that I fed my infant daughter as often as she wanted it)...."I only fed you ever 4 hours. If you cried for 3 hours inbetween....well that's just the way it was."
So it wouldn't surprise me if as an infant I became programmed to always eat everything that came my way, out of some fear of never get fed again. Anyhow........I think our physical bodies/brains do those types of things, especially when we're young.

I am so sorry so many of you have gone through emotional and physical abuse/trauma in your lives. But I don't think this is a link to Fibro because there are people like me that haven't gone through this and still have Fibro. But maybe having gone through abuse affects how you handle fibromyalgia...how you handle pain. Maybe the pain raises, in your subconscious mind, more stress and this perhaps could be why our pain perception can be so varied.

I personally think our link to Fibro is somewhere in our genes and they haven't found it yet. Many of us have family members who also have Fibro...hence a genetic link. It's something we are born with that lies dormant and then kicks in for some people. Kind of like the illness called shingles. People who have had chicken pox still carry that virus in them and it lays dorment. But yet only 1/3 of the people who have had chicken pox will come down with shingles. Why? I don't know.

I do genealogy and it's amazing how so many of us inner-connect with our blood lines. Some of us could even be distantly related. Know what I mean? And so we might be carrying something in our genetic make-up that unfortunately kicks in for us...some because of trauma, illness, etc. Does this make sense to anyone? I'm not sure my explanation is very good. LOL

Sherrine

Stress can cause any illness more easily. Fibro is just one of them. Having gone through emotional and physical abuse/trauma in your lives has definitely added extra stress.

You're ? doesn't bother me.

I wasn't really abused as a child, but did have an emotionally abusive (ex now) husband. And I did have a very rough childhood. Both older sisters abused by bfs in teens. Lots of school abuse by kids & teachers because I was different, and ended up almost agoraphobic. Lots of friends dead from various reasons. Bf thinks a lot of my medical problems are also from malnutrition starting in my early teens. After mom & dad split when I was 12, he gambled all his $ away, so there were no child support checks, & mom had to file bankruptcy. We were always on the edge of being homeless, so there were a lot of times when food took a back seat to the bills. Same when I was married and was working a retail job to support ex thru grad school in san fransisco. Didn't actually stop living hand to mouth till I got a good job as an admin asst, and then left ex. That's when I was able to start taking care of myself and go to the doc.

Bf is very supportive about my going to docs for all of my med stuff. Just difficult right now to find the time ( that's explained in my thread about his special needs son).

But it would be interesting to know if there is a link.

I didn't suffer from Childhood abuse but have had many surgeries starting in high school. ( I was always getting hurt growing up too) I have had 19 surgeries. 5 major surgeries from 2010 to 2012 than another one 2 weeks ago.

I was diagnosed w Fibro about 3 years ago. I do believe trauma has definitely played a major role in my Fibro.

No abuse for me. I had a wonderful childhood, and I feel very blessed and fortunate. I am sorry for those of you who who have experienced abuse. I wish that were not the case for you.