This month our facebook topic has been functional medicine and mental health. Functional medicine approaches the body by looking at systems and how they communicate and affect one another. In functional medicine, we recognize these systems are interdependent and at the center of all the systems are the mental, emotional, and spiritual.

In our recent facebook live sessions, we discussed the Adverse Childhood Event (ACE) study. This was a huge study that looked at the effects of childhood trauma on adults. They found a huge correlation to chronic illness- regardless of socioeconomic status. This was landmark work on the impact of trauma on adults-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_Childhood_Experiences_Study

However, there is hope, as the brain has plasticity and can be rewired. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is one well researched modality that can help individuals heal from trauma by helping to rewire the brain. We can recommend therapists who are trained in this if you are interested.  See our facebook live video to learn more about this-

Another aspect to consider when dealing with trauma is the effect it can have on your stress hormones.  When there is trauma your body can get stuck in a hypervigilant state, and this can contribute to irregularity in the balance of cortisol and adrenaline.  This can then adversely effect sleep, coping ability, mood and even your microbiome! If you are experiencing or have experienced trauma, we can help you understand how it may be affecting your health, and help you find solutions.