When the Body Carries What the Mind Survived
- Karla Bruner
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
The science of how trauma lives in us— and why healing is still possible.
When someone develops a physical illness, we rarely blame them. Yet when trauma affects the body, the response often feels different—we assume they have a victim mentality or aren’t willing to do the healing work.
I experienced this firsthand. While hospitalized and unable to walk, a neurologist told me my symptoms were similar to when she “brought a boy home and her mother got a tummy ache.” It felt as if my body’s suffering was being framed as something I just needed to “get over” for it to heal. After numerous tests, I was told my symptoms were likely functional—likely worsened by Long COVID—yet no other options were offered.
Vessel van der Kolk writes in The Body Keeps the Score, “Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on the mind, brain, and body. But the body is an incredible healing machine once it feels safe.” God designed our bodies to heal—so there is hope.
Trauma alters the body in several ways:
1. Telomeres: These “protective caps” at the ends of our DNA act like the tips of shoelaces. Telomeres naturally shorten as cells divide, but trauma and chronic stress can speed this up, leading to earlier health problems. Research shows that emotional abuse and neglect are especially linked to shorter telomeres (Kim et al., 2017; Li et al., 2017). Interestingly, antidepressant use has been associated with longer telomeres.
2. Epigenetics: While we can’t change our genes, our environment and lifestyle influence how they are expressed. Trauma can “turn on” genes that increase risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune conditions (Jiang et al., 2019).
3. Inflammation: Trauma raises markers like CRP and IL-6, which are linked to pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and chronic illness. This happens through dysregulation of the HPA axis, which floods the body with cortisol, the stress hormone (Sun et al., 2021).
The hope in all of this is that a relationship with God, community, therapy, sleep, movement, nutritious foods, slowing down, and stress reduction can support telomere length, influence epigenetic expression, and calm inflammation.
None of this is a quick or guaranteed fix. And for those living with chronic trauma, even “slowing down” or eating healthy may not feel accessible. But moving toward healing one step at a time is possible—in Him and through the way He designed our bodies with hope.
Relationship with Jesus isn’t a Band-Aid, but it can help us make meaning of our suffering. And the ability to make meaning is one of the key things that separates resilience from stagnancy.
About the Author
Karla Bruner
LAMFT, MA
Karla enjoys working with clients as they explore how past wounds, traumas, and family-of-origin dynamics impact present relationships. She supports clients in growing emotional awareness, communication, and personal responsibility.