Survivors’ Long-Term Effects of Inflammation due to Negative Self-Talk

I started contemplating how my thoughts affected my health and became concerned about finding a solution for Survivors' Long-Term Effects of Inflammation due to Negative Self-Talk. I have been thinking and wanting to understand how the negative self-talk I developed during and after my traumatic events can cause inflammation, attack the immune system, cause pain and discomfort, possibly lead to disease(s), and ultimately death. O’Brien states, “Emerging evidence suggests that negative self-talk plays a role in turning on genes that are involved in inflammation and turning off genes that fight viruses.”

Dr. Jim Hopper's research, "The Brain Under (Sexual) Attack," addresses how survivors' brains are affected by sexual assault (and military combat and any major attack or stress). He states, "Stress and trauma can rapidly and massively alter brain functioning, for example, impairing rational brain regions, leaving only the reflexes and habits," and "altering the way memories are encoded and stored." Since survivors constantly perform and adjust at an elevated level of psychological exertion, we seem more susceptible to negative influences than non-survivors. A survivor's brain may take longer to arrive at a simple directive than non-survivors.

Dr. Patricia Resick shared on Open Stance (a podcast hosted by former professional tennis player Tracey Hiete Smith) that traumatic events are like campfires in our minds, and we are constantly adding "thought logs" to keep the fire ablaze. I recognize that these negative "thought logs" (which I created myself) remain my truth for my lifetime, causing me to create a false self and riddle my body with inflammation. How do we stop "thought logs" so the campfire burns itself to ash? 

Christopher Bergland, an ultra-endurance athlete and long-distance runner, states, "...it became clear what negative moods create physiological changes in my body, which cause me to run slower." After my abuse started, I struggled to find the motivation to go to practice, let alone compete. I felt I was on display for everyone to judge and discriminate against me, so I berated myself with consistent negative self-talk. Could survivors be causing self-harm and re-self-victimization by repeating negative thoughts and self-talk? Research implies that we can change this downward spiral and develop healthier bodies and minds.

I have recently discovered that I have more energy and strength to create positive self-talk by easing inflammation. But when I am not feeling well, I am not interested in anything positive. This mood would compound the circular negativity and even create new negative thoughts.

I did research and found a way to ease the effects of inflammation. Once I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, a friend told me about Arbonne's natural plant-based program entitled 30 Days to Healthy Living. This program changed my life by reducing and managing inflammation. Combining daily exercising and eating healthier has assisted in moving my body from an acidic into a more alkaline state, which provides me with more energy to address my negative self-talk.

I found that traditional therapy was not necessarily for me. First, one of my abusers was a therapist. My uncomfortableness, embarrassment, and shame from walking into a therapist's office constantly impeded my progress. Some earlier therapists unknowingly revictimized me, and I stopped attending sessions. Later, I realized that if I did and said exactly what the therapist asked, I would earn their praise and acknowledgment for working hard—yet I never felt that we ever scratched the surface of the abuse—and the sessions would be over.