Stress, Anxiety, & Trauma… Oh My!
Stress and anxiety can affect far more than your mental health—they may also influence your digestive system and overall gut health. Research continues to show strong connections between emotional wellness and gastrointestinal conditions, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional digestive disorders.
Studies suggest that stress and anxiety may worsen symptoms, increase symptom perception, and contribute to flare-ups in some individuals with gastrointestinal conditions.
June is recognized as National PTSD Awareness Month, making it an important opportunity to discuss how stress, trauma, and emotional health can impact the body—including the gut.
Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection
The gut and brain are closely connected through what is commonly known as the gut-brain axis. Emotional stress may influence digestion, stomach acid production, gut motility, and even symptom sensitivity.
Trauma, chronic stress, and anxiety may activate the body’s stress response systems, including the sympathetic nervous system—often referred to as the “fight or flight” response. This activation can contribute to digestive symptoms such as reflux, abdominal discomfort, nausea, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.
While not everyone who experiences trauma develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emotional processing and stress management are important components of overall wellness for many individuals.
You Already Have the Power
One of the most important steps in managing stress is learning to honestly evaluate what may be contributing to emotional overwhelm. Working through these challenges may help reduce their impact on both mental and physical health.
You already have the power—you may just need some tools.
It starts with taking an honest look inward so you can move forward from a healthier, clearer place. Identifying the things that block your growth and peace can help you better understand your stress responses and emotional patterns.
As uncomfortable as it may feel, confronting these obstacles is often the first step toward healing.
7 Common Obstacles That May Increase Stress
While everyone’s experiences are different, several emotional patterns commonly contribute to stress and anxiety. These obstacles may include:
- Fear
- Guilt
- Anger
- Self-sabotage
- Laziness
- Envy
- Lack of focus or misdirected focus
These emotional blockers may contribute to increased stress responses in the body, affecting both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Chronic stress may increase heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and overall physical tension—factors that can also impact digestive health and gut-related symptoms.
The important question becomes: are you willing to be honest with yourself?
We cannot change what we refuse to confront. Identifying the things that block your growth may help you better understand where your stress comes from and which tools may help you move through it.
Ready. Set. Go!
Once you’ve identified your emotional blockers, the next step is learning how to work through them.
One simple framework is called Ready. Set. Go!
READY
Acknowledge the blocker.
Set it in front of yourself and recognize it for what it is—an obstacle. Whether it is fear, guilt, anger, or self-doubt, acknowledging its presence is the first step.
Admitting something is affecting you does not make you weak. It makes you aware.
SET
Now that you have identified the blocker, ask yourself two important questions:
- What does my life look like if I continue to be consumed by this?
- What does my life look like if I move past it and overcome it?
Writing these answers side by side can help create perspective. If the second vision reflects greater peace, health, and fulfillment, then it may be time to take action.
GO!
If you are tired of feeling stuck and can envision a healthier future on the other side of your obstacles, the next step is to take action.
Sometimes all it takes is a small moment of courage to interrupt negative thought patterns and move forward. Progress does not require perfection—it simply requires movement.
You do not need to have everything figured out to begin.
Supporting Both Emotional and Gut Health
Stress management is not a replacement for medical care, but it may serve as an important part of a comprehensive wellness plan for individuals living with GERD and digestive disorders.
Some supportive strategies may include:
- Counseling or therapy
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Gentle movement or exercise
- Journaling
- Sleep hygiene
- Building supportive relationships
- Working with healthcare professionals
Healing is rarely linear, but small, consistent steps can make a meaningful difference over time.
There may not be a rewind button in life, but it is never too late for a new beginning. Start today and finish strong. Your future self may thank you for it.
Your story is still being written.
I see you, and YOU are beautiful!
- Bradley, L. A., Richter, J. E., Pulliam, T. J., Haile, J. M., Scarinci, I. C., Schan, C. A., Dalton, C. B., & Salley, A. N. (1993). The relationship between stress and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux: The influence of psychological factors. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 88(1), 11–19.
- Haruma, K., Kinoshita, Y., Sakamoto, S., Sanada, K., Hiroi, S., & Miwa, H. (2015). Lifestyle factors and efficacy of lifestyle interventions in gastroesophageal reflux disease patients with functional dyspepsia: Primary care perspectives from the LEGEND study. Internal Medicine, 54(7), 695–701. https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.54.3056
- Wright, C. E., Ebrecht, M., Mitchell, R., Anggiansah, A., & Weinman, J. (2005). The effect of psychological stress on symptom severity and perception in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 59(6), 415–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.05.012
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