PTSD: Is It Really a Metabolic Disorder in Disguise?
Exploring the Overlap Between Trauma, Stress, and Metabolic Dysregulation
Introduction: A New Perspective on PTSD
Imagine walking into a room, and your heart races as if you've encountered a lion in the wild. This isn't just fear—this is your body’s stress response gone haywire. For many individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), this state of hypervigilance becomes a constant reality, shaping not just their emotional world but their physical health.
PTSD is often framed as a psychological condition, but groundbreaking research reveals it could also be a metabolic disorder in disguise. This paradigm shift opens doors to understanding the intricate web connecting trauma, stress, metabolism, and health, and how treating PTSD as a whole-body condition might transform outcomes for those who suffer.
In this article, we'll explore how PTSD’s impact extends beyond the brain, affecting the nervous system, hormones, and even cellular metabolism, and how this knowledge can lead to innovative therapies for trauma recovery.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a psychiatric condition triggered by trauma. It manifests through:
Re-experiencing: Flashbacks or intrusive memories.
Avoidance: Steering clear of reminders of the trauma.
Hyperarousal: Difficulty sleeping, irritability, and heightened vigilance.
While PTSD’s hallmark is an inability to inhibit fear responses, emerging research shows it also affects physical health, particularly by disrupting metabolism (Michopoulos et al., 2016).
Trauma’s Metabolic Signature
Research highlights a striking overlap between PTSD and metabolic disorders like obesity and type 2 diabetes. Key shared features include:
Dysregulated Stress Hormones: PTSD alters the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to changes in cortisol, which regulates energy use and inflammation.
Inflammation: Trauma triggers chronic inflammation, a driver of metabolic syndrome.
Insulin Resistance: PTSD has been linked to impaired glucose regulation, resembling diabetes (Michopoulos et al., 2016).
These connections suggest PTSD may not only share risk factors with metabolic disorders but also exacerbate each other in a dangerous feedback loop.
Stress, the Nervous System, and the Metabolic Connection
The Nervous System Under Siege
PTSD hijacks the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which controls the fight-or-flight response. This leads to:
Elevated heart rate.
Increased norepinephrine (a stress hormone).
Suppressed heart rate variability, a sign of poor stress adaptation.
Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation is a shared hallmark of PTSD and metabolic conditions. Elevated levels of cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), are linked to both trauma symptoms and metabolic dysregulation (Michopoulos et al., 2016).
Insulin and Blood Sugar
Trauma survivors often experience insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. Studies show abnormal glucose metabolism in the brain regions affected by PTSD, such as the amygdala and hippocampus, which regulate fear and memory (Kim et al., 2012).
The Lion in the Room: A Metaphor for Chronic Stress
Consider this analogy:
A person sees a lion in the savannah. Their fight-or-flight response activates, preparing them to run or fight. If the lion leaves but they remain exposed, hypervigilance sets in—a state we call striving mode. Over time, repeated exposures lead to struggle mode, where physiological systems begin to break down. If the lion attacks, the individual enters shock mode, akin to PTSD.
The body cannot heal until it finds safety—a “house” to escape the lion. For trauma survivors, this means addressing both psychological and metabolic effects of chronic stress.
A New Framework: Treating PTSD as a Whole-Body Condition
Restore Safety in the Nervous System:
Tools like Polyvagal Theory and breathing techniques help regulate the ANS.Bharamari Breath (Humming Bee Breath):
A long, controlled humming exhale activates the vagus nerve, promoting relaxation.Box Breathing:
This technique balances the ANS:Inhale for 4 counts.
Hold for 4 counts.
Exhale for 4 counts.
Pause for 4 counts.
Rewrite and rewire the trauma:
Techniques like BEEP (Breath-Enhanced Emotional Processing) allow clients to face discomfort and calm their responses, fostering resilience.
Breath-Enhanced Emotional Processing (BEEP) is a groundbreaking breathwork method I developed exclusively for Next Level Human. This technique builds on the principles of Rest-Based Training, a revolutionary interval training system I created that has been used by millions worldwide through my Metabolic Female and Metabolic Male programs.BEEP adapts the concept of individualized rest into rest-based breathing, where participants alternate between intense breathwork and personalized recovery periods. This structured approach is combined with elements of shamanic practices, compassion-focused therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to create a powerful tool for transformation.
By guiding individuals into altered states of consciousness, BEEP facilitates emotional breakthroughs, self-discovery, and a deeper connection to one’s inner world—unlocking pathways to healing and growth.
.
For a free guided session, visit Next Level Human BEEP Session.
Rewrite the Narrative:
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a transformative tool:FEEL Phase: Write about the sensations of the trauma (e.g., where the feelings reside in the body).
DEAL Phase: Reflect on coping mechanisms used (e.g., avoidance, blame).
HEAL Phase: Write from your future self, reframing the trauma as a source of growth.
Hope for the Future: Bridging Trauma and Health
By reframing PTSD as a psychiatric and metabolic disorder, we open new possibilities for treatment. Addressing trauma’s physiological and psychological components offers hope for millions living with the condition, enabling healing at every level—mind, body, and spirit.