Trauma Lives in the Body, Too
Most people know that trauma can leave emotional scars. But fewer people realize that trauma can also change how your body works—down to the level of your genes.
In recent years, scientists have uncovered powerful evidence that trauma doesn’t just live in our memories. It can change how genes are expressed in the body—a field of study called epigenetics. These changes can shape how our brains and bodies respond to stress, how we manage inflammation, and even how resilient we feel. And yes, those changes can stick with us for a long time—sometimes even across generations.
Trauma and the Stress Response
When something traumatic happens—whether it’s a single event or ongoing stress—the body kicks into high gear. This is your survival system doing its job. But when the stress is chronic or overwhelming, the system can get stuck in overdrive.
One key player in this system is the glucocorticoid receptor, which helps regulate your body’s stress hormone, cortisol. Research has shown that trauma can change the way this gene is expressed, making it harder for your body to turn off the stress response. Over time, this can lead to wear and tear on your immune system, sleep patterns, digestion, and even heart health.
How Does Trauma Affect the Body?
If you’ve ever wondered why trauma survivors often struggle with chronic pain, autoimmune issues, fatigue, or digestive problems—this is part of the reason. The biological stress from unresolved trauma can ripple through multiple systems in the body.
These epigenetic changes may help explain why some people feel like they’re constantly “on edge,” or why even small stressors feel overwhelming after a traumatic experience. In many ways, the body is reacting to the world as if the threat is still ongoing.
Trauma Across Generations
There’s also compelling research showing that these trauma-related changes can be passed from one generation to the next. Children of trauma survivors sometimes show similar epigenetic patterns—even if they didn’t experience the original trauma themselves.
This doesn’t mean trauma is destiny. But it does mean that healing isn’t just about “getting over it.” It’s about recognizing how deeply trauma affects both mind and body—and responding with care, patience, and evidence-based support.
What Can Help with Trauma?
Here’s the hopeful part: Just as trauma can shape our biology, healing experiences can too. Therapy approaches like Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD and help rewire the brain’s response to stress. Early evidence even suggests that effective therapy can reverse some trauma-related epigenetic changes.
Other healing tools—like consistent social support, mindfulness practices, physical movement, and trauma-informed medical care—can also support the body’s return to a more balanced state.
If you’re carrying the invisible weight of trauma, it’s not just in your head—and you’re not alone. Healing is possible, and it often starts with understanding what’s really going on inside. Whether your symptoms are fresh or decades old, Cognitive Processing Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are research-backed therapies that are a good place to start (for kids or adolescents, look into Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: TF-CBT). These therapies can help you move through the pain—on your terms, at your pace, and with support every step of the way.
Read more about therapy for trauma on our website, or contact us to get hands-on support from a trauma specialist at Dallas CBT.