Identify and Heal

While in my mid twenties, I began to get really fatigued, easily and from nowhere. Particularly however, if I felt stressed. Not the type of tiredness after a hard day at the office, or a nights lost sleep. I refer to the type of fatigue that almost knocks you off your feet, and sends your eyes rolling in the back of your head..leaving you completely depleted of all energy and the ability to function normally. This continued, and became progressively worse until I was 30 years old. I decided that I had to do something about it, and find out what was causing it. I’d received health checks from my GP and everything was considered to be normal, and I was given a clean bill of health.

Being a Mother to two very active sons, a Wife, and working full time, I desperately needed to find energy from somewhere. I didn’t agree with Big Pharma, so I already knew that I wouldn’t go down the prescription medication route. With that in mind, I researched alternative therapies, specifically energy work. I booked a Reiki treatment with a local Reiki Practitioner, and can honestly say that what was to follow from that initial treatment, would propel me down a new and winding path towards self-discovery, self-actualisation, the discovery of self and my identity, and finally the ability to be able to speak my truth in the subsequent years which were to follow. Finally I was on my path to true inner healing, which will be a forever process.

My Reiki Practitioner explained that my Solar Plexus Chakra was wide open. Chakras are energy centres which are located throughout the body. The Solar Plexus specifically, is our ‘Self Worth’ centre. Twelve years later, I reached a personal crisis point in my life, with the realisation that my Mother has NPD. With that realisation, I now had so many questions answered regarding my life, myself, my childhood, my relationships..and much much more. Finally I was able to make sense of the physical emotional and mental abuse endured throughout my childhood at the hands of my mother, and further abuse of an emotional and mental nature which spanned throughout my life into adulthood, when finally at 42 years old I said No..no more! I finally understood and could accept that it had not been my imagination that my mother didn’t love me, would never love me, and would never possess that ability. This was evidenced by scientific studies and Pyschologists and health care professionals alike.

This set me on a quest to arm myself with as much information as I could read, with regards to the effects of childhood abuse and trauma, on an emotional, mental and physical level. I soon discovered through my research, that I suffer from CPTSD, which is a complex trauma disorder thought to occur as a result of prolonged and repetitive trauma involving harm and abandonment by the primary caregiver, with an uneven power dynamic. This is something I will speak of extensively in future blogs. I then discovered the connection between my lifelong fatigue and the Adrenals.

When we grow up being consistently abused, everything becomes a perceived threat to our safety..and survival. We become locked into a constant state of fight or flight. the Adrenal Glands control that response (survival response) so imagine how fried our Adrenals become after years of abuse and constantly having to release Adrenaline and Cortisol. It’s staggering how many things are affected if our Adrenals are out of whack. For example; Blood Sugar, Circulatory System, Immune System etc. Our Solar Plexus, is a vital Chakra in our energetic system. There are a list of symptoms and effects that indicate the Chakra is out of alignment, in the case of the Solar Plexus, that will present as Poor self-esteem and confidence. Feeling co-dependent and lacking independence. Struggling with standing up for ourselves. Inability to say No. Feeling out of alignment with our truth. Lack of stamina and endurance. Inability to focus and concentrate.

On a physical level, a Solar Plexus issue will present in digestive issues. Stomach ulcers. Adrenal fatigue. Allergies. Low energy. Chronic Fatigue. Diabetes, and anything else related to the organs near the Solar Plexus. The Solar Plexus is basically where the adrenals are.
Next comes the HPA Axis, which is a complex set of signals that exist between the Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland and Adrenals. The relationship between the three, is an absolute requirement in our existence. HPA Axis Dysfunction is the scientific term for Adrenal Fatigue, and includes a myriad of signs and symptoms and triggers.

There are four primary triggers;

• Novelty of an event (new situations can cause stress).
• Unpredictability – when things change frequently and we feel on alert. (Such as in abuse).
• Perceived Threat – to body or ego. (Such as in abuse).
• Sense of loss of control- powerlessness (such as in abuse).

Abnormal functions of the HPA Axis has long been associated with emotional responses such as anxiety and depression, as well as behavioural and cognitive functioning, this includes memory. The latest scientific studies conclude that child maltreatment may lead to disruption in the HPA Axis, and this includes parental responsiveness, exposure to stressors, and everything that encompasses childhood abuse. I will speak more regarding this in future, and bring attachment into the equation.

Finally, Social Isolation is also a big trigger and factor in HPA Axis Dysfunction. When we take into consideration that social isolation is used as a tool to control and punish children by parents with NPD, it’s easy to see where all these triggers come from in relation to childhood abuse, and the connections and impact they have throughout our lifetime.

The post The Connection between Childhood Abuse/Trauma – The HPA Axis – and the Solar Plexus. appeared first on Identify and Heal.