Getting rid of gut trauma involves a holistic approach, combining dietary changes (probiotics, fiber), stress management (meditation, yoga, sleep, deep breathing), gentle movement, and sometimes professional therapies like talk therapy or trauma-informed movement to heal the gut-brain connection, which is crucial for both physical and mental recovery. Focus on whole foods, stay hydrated, and practice mindfulness to support the body's natural healing processes and reduce stress hormones like cortisol.
When trauma-based anxiety is expressed through the gut, a common experience is stomach clenching and tight abdominal muscles. Being in a 'fight or flight' mode from trauma can show through symptoms of stomach pain and nausea, as well as intestinal cramping and diarrhea.
Physical movement is one of the best ways to process and release trauma from the body. Yoga, stretching, and even mindful exercise help release trapped tension and reconnect with physical sensations. Certain poses in yoga, such as child's pose and hip openers, are particularly effective in unlocking stored trauma.
Physical Sensations
Tremors or Shaking: These involuntary movements can occur as the body releases stored energy associated with traumatic experiences. Tingling or Warmth: You may feel tingling sensations or warmth in certain areas of your body as trauma is processed and released.
The fastest way to heal your gut involves a combination of a fiber-rich, whole-food diet (fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains), probiotics (fermented foods), stress management (sleep, exercise, deep breathing), and limiting processed foods/antibiotics, with dietary changes having the biggest initial impact, though long-term consistency in a healthy lifestyle is key for sustained gut health.
There are many factors that can lead to a disturbance in gut function. The four R's protocol (Remove, Replace, Re-inoculate, Repair) works to address the underlying causes of imbalance and aids in alleviating symptoms.
Bone Broth – rich in collagen, gelatin, and amino acids like glutamine, which help strengthen the gut lining, repair the digestive tract, and reduce inflammation. Ginger Tea – known for its soothing effects on the digestive system.
But in my experience, emotional healing happens in seven stages: awareness, acceptance, processing, release, growth, integration, and transformation. We don't move through these seven stages in a straight line, but we do pass through them all eventually on the path to healing.
It shows up as tight muscles, clenched shoulders, chronic headaches, and most commonly, digestive issues. These symptoms may not make sense to a physician, but a trauma-informed therapist can often tell that the discomfort is linked to a painful event your mind is trying to move on from.
The Trauma-Healing Diet
8 Trauma Release Exercises to Try at Home
Because our nervous system and brain can hold onto painful and traumatic events, chronic pain can be very real and present even after the physical injury has healed.
When you're stressed, the nervous system sends signals to your gut and intestines, triggering the muscles involved in digestion to go into a “fight or flight” response. They can react by quickly pushing waste through your system, causing nausea, cramping, bloating or diarrhea.
The 7 Day Gut Reset is a clean-eating and lifestyle-based plan designed to: Eliminate common gut disruptors. Introduce healing, nourishing foods. Support your digestive system with hydration and rest. Improve the diversity of your gut bacteria.
Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation — all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut. The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach's juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways.
Signs of bad gut health include digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and heartburn; skin problems such as acne or eczema; mood changes like anxiety or depression; fatigue; sugar cravings; and unintentional weight changes, all stemming from an imbalance in your gut microbiome (dysbiosis). These symptoms can signal that your gut isn't processing food and eliminating waste effectively, impacting overall well-being, notes Healthdirect and GoodRx.
7 Clear Signs Your Body Is Releasing Stored Trauma
The "3 C's of Trauma" usually refer to Connect, Co-Regulate, and Co-Reflect, a model for trauma-informed care focusing on building safe relationships, helping individuals manage overwhelming emotions (co-regulation), and processing experiences (co-reflection). Other "3 C's" include Comfort, Conversation, and Commitment for children's coping, and Catch, Check, Change from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for challenging negative thoughts in trauma recovery.
Trauma-induced stress hormones can disrupt the delicate equilibrium of our digestive system. Hello, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and other gastrointestinal woes! Added to this, the gut's close ties with mental health – courtesy of the gut-brain axis – mean that trauma's tremors are felt keenly in this region.
28 trauma activities for adults to try at home
There are seven natural ways of emotional discharge and healing in Indigenous cultures: shaking, crying, laughing, sweating, voicing (talking, singing, hollering, yelling, screaming, etc.), kicking, and hitting.
The “90-second rule,” introduced by Harvard neuroscientist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, reveals that an emotional surge in the body lasts only about 90 seconds—unless we mentally keep it alive.
What doctors wish patients knew about improving gut health
Drinking fluids right when you wake up is key for healthy digestion. Tea made with warm water can help gently get things moving in your digestive system. Other drinks like plain water, coffee and smoothies all have benefits.
Coca-Cola, due to its carbonic, citric acid and phosphoric acid it resembles as the natural gastric acid that's thought to be important for fiber digestion. Furthermore, the sodium bicarbonate and carbon dioxide bubbles in the beverage might enhance its dissolving effect.