Don't know about others but I know I have some major very early trauma. I've heard the theory before that a dysregulated stress response due to early childhood exeriences is a factor in ME but don't know if it is true. Stress does seem to be a triggering factor for many.

I had major surgery at at 8, complicated by double pneumonia and a ptsd inducing experience in the hospital (colonscopy while awake and being held down, can you imagine doing that to an 8 yr old? me either)
And then at age 9/10 I was molested by my elder brother.

I think it's entirely possible that early stressors set up our endocrine systems for being weaker, but also some or perhaps most of us are just more sensitive people in general. While I feel my early stuff contributed to my weight and other issues, I always felt that it was the major stress of being the single mom and never knowing where the food for my kids was going to come from - and working in a factory surrounded by liquid plastics...did me in.

Either way, adrenals surely seem to play a part, whether that stress is in childhood or later and whether it's an emotional or physical stressor...

I find myself hiding from the world in general due to being so sensitive. Often feel as though I can feel the emotions of everyone around me. I admit to being a bit psychic as well. You too?

I have suffered many traumas during my life and I do believe they play a significant role in my illness ,combined with the viral triggers . It's an overload snow ball effect.The adrenals are already depleted and sensitive as a result of accumulative stress and trauma.Then the additional burden of coping with an energy robbing virus pushes the adrenals over the edge.Down we go! How to get back up.I have been trying for so long.

Yes, I suffered several early traumas, including surgeries and hospitalizations at a very young age. Early trauma may not be causative, but I think it is most certainly contributive. Thanks for bringing this up. There is so much research in early development that leads us to believe that it plays a huge part in how our lives go forward, particularly in our ability to metabolize stress. Many of us with early traumas have severe negative affect processing issues. In a real sense, we may not have all of the hardware on board in our brains that we need because of a lack of development of the hippocampus and the pre-frontal cortex due to early trauma. The good news is that scientists now believe in neuroplasticity, the idea that the brain can change. We can develop these areas that are lacking. One way to thicken the pre-frontal cortex is through meditation. Keep pushing forward and thank you for bringing this to light.

Hey, Triumfidora!!! I'm BACK!!!! My stupidfone died n I have a new one. (Just as stupid, unfortunately..... Maybecis the user, you reckon?
Anyways YES!!! Thanks for opening up a convo on this. When I was sent to a local Fibro Specialist , he started askijg me rapidfire questions re/ childhood traumas, molestation, abandonment issues, early physical injuries/ surgeries, etc.... To the point my head was spinning n thought I was about to vomit pea soup all over him!!!! (Shades of The Exorcist.) Instead I tearfully asked him, Why are you going into all of this???!!! I have worked through all of this with therapists and WHY are you taking me back there???!!! YOU'RE NOT A PSYCHIATRIST!!!! WHY ARE YOU SHRINKING ME???!!!!!

He apologized and patted me on the back n said that it seems that TO A PERSON, everyone in his practice that has true fibromyalgia, just happens to have these childhood traumatic events in common. To the point that it has become a diagnistic tool among many specialists.

So I hope this resolves the mystery and any questions in your head about this issue. Yes. We all are broken. That gives us SOME answers, but what we do with it is up to our creator.

Love U Lots. Its freezing down here with sleet n snow n hazardous roads, most everybody staying home, who can. If you'd like contact info for the specialist I saw, will be glad to pm you that info.

Susana, Still Going Strong!

Thank you for your candor and thoughtful responses . Having a background in psychotherapy, I was assuming that would be the answer I'd receive. I recall reading about this many years ago in psych books, but now this is personal with myself and all of you and I wanted the real acknowledgement of this experience. It only makes sense that that form or trauma would set up a hyper vigilant Immune system response or just the opposite. And, if living anywhere near the perpetrator, would leave the person who was victimized at the time in a fearful state which would, over time erode the adrenal system and immune system. To say nothing of environmental factors and genetics.... I began therapy with a woman not long ago who does body work with the premise being that such work will allow the body to release old habitual fear/holding patterns that go right to the cells individually. once that is released and freed up, things can change,,,, vulnerability is freed up,etc... WE'll see how it goes. I figure it is another avenue to explore...

I started thinking about this after reading The Last Best Cure. The author was asked the same thing. I have no abuse in background but mother was drunk most of the time from the age of 12. Another thing was my miserable digestion that caused me constant discomfort and embarrassment or fear of impending embarrassment to the point where I think I disassociated from my body. I finally changed my diet years later and fixed it. I was also always way behind my peers in maturity until after college.

My younger sibling was perfectly normal. What was I saying....brain fog... oh I have also just started reading up on highly sensitive people and empaths and am wondering about that. My social anxiety is definitely getting worse.

Statistically the victims of child abuse suffer higher incidence of illnesses in general, not just ME/CFS. They are also much more likely to become addicted to drugs including alcohol, have relationship problems, and fail to succeed financially.

I went through physical,sexual, and emotional abuse during my childhood, but I don't believe that this means that ME/CFS is "caused" by child abuse. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that it seems as though abuse "predisposes" a person to become ill in a number of ways.

This has been investigated by researchers, and they concluded that there is no linkage. Many of the ME/CFS patients in the studies had perfectly ordinary childhoods.

Thanks again for all your comments and sharing. Thanks also triunfadora for labeling some of the parts of the brain, etc.... and the technical details... I read this and then forget it, but I Love to be reminded. So yes, trauma may not be the "cause", but yes, I think it sets up the predisposition and vulnerability that people who do not experience trauma and abuse carry. From the reading I've done, I'll echo again what Triunfadora said, that the brain does show elasticity and that meditation has been shown over and over again to be the best thing for us. The very first book I read about CFS nearly 30 years ago said the very same thing. So, we ned to get out those zafus and sit, or mattresses and lie down and meditate, pray, .... I must admit I am not as disciplined as I should be about this, but am trying to be better! It's hard to meditate when there's a dust ball under the chair! Thanks again you wonderful people. I so appreciate all of you and your wisdom.

Hi, again. I am sure that your background in psychotherapy comes in handy in understanding the role of early trauma. A book that helped me a lot was "The Body Remembers" by Babette Rothschild. She explains how unprocessed trauma can be manifested in the body. She suggests body work. So, I'm glad you are looking into that. I don't think I have anyone in my area doing that particularly, but I'm trying to get as many hugs and caresses from my hubby as I can. Any positive touch is better than none, right? Thanks again for bringing this topic to the forefront.

Yes, I'd say if you cannot find a therapist who is doing body work in your area, that good, kind, loving touch and holding from someone you really trust (your hubby) that is completely non-demanding of you is wonderful. As you've probably read, the body sort of stores traumatic experience even at the cellular level, kind of like it takes in information about the world. So we have to discover ways to allow that to relax and let go. I've been seeing someone to deal with this issue as I had a lot of physical abuse, some sexual abuse, and a lot of emotional abuse as a kid. I decided that talk therapy was just not enough and needed to go the body route and some art therapy as well. I've been so sick that I haven't gotten very far, but am hoping to start progressing and moving forward. Art therapy can be very powerful as well, so if there are no really experiences and solid body work therapists in your are, you might look into doing some art therapy. It can be soothing as well as cathartic. Collage is great too as a part of that. I say, any avenue to express what has not been able to be expressed is important and can be crucial to healing at a deep level. Doing art therapy and even learning some body soothing skill s can be things we can do on our own as well for calming the CNS or healing self expression as well as FUN! Thanks you Triunfadora!

I suffered no abuse or trauma as a child. But a few days after I turned 18, I was suffered severe brain trauma from an injury in an auto accident. The left side of my skull was crushed. My head had to be shaved. I was in a coma for a short time, my memory was damaged, my speech pattern was out of order, the left side of my face was paralyzed, I had to have assistance to walk, and so on. No one could tell me whether I would ever be "normal" again.

Apparently, while I was down with EBV, I had a stroke without even knowing it! The neurologist believed that I recovered from the stroke quickly because my brain had already "trained itself to re-route the signals"!

Hey Pilot Rock - That is amazing!!!!!!! I guess that speaks to the wonder of our brains and their 'elasticity' and ability to heal. I am am very sorry to hear that you had to go through all that. Can't imagine, really.... I hope, aside from the CFS, you are healed...... Good God Almighty, what we go through in these fragile bodies!

As a psychologist, I can assure you there is NO proof that early childhood trauma causes CFS. Also, I'd like to see evidence that childhood trauma stunts the development of any part of the brain (unless the brain itself has been physically damaged). If trauma stunted brain development, we'd have a lot more people with underdeveloped brains!

It would need research of a large enough cohort to get a significant result, to determine whether there was any correlation between childhood trauma and CFS.