03/07/2026
New Insights on Trauma, Somatic Symptoms, and Dissociation
A recent study has explored the relationship between trauma, physical (somatic) symptoms, and dissociation. The research revealed that seven common physical symptoms are strongly linked to dissociation, where the mind blocks trauma out of awareness.
This is significant because it confirms that dissociating from trauma affects not only your mental health but also your physical well-being. If you're experiencing unexplained physical symptoms and your doctor can't find a cause, unresolved trauma might be at the root of your unexplained symptoms.
What Happens When You Store Trauma in the Body?
Trauma and emotions can get trapped in your body through dissociation and other reasons, settling in your muscles, nerves, and tissues. When you go through a traumatic event, your mind and body respond together. But sometimes, they don’t fully sync up afterward. This disconnect can lead to lingering emotions, which appear as physical symptoms that don't seem to have a clear cause.
The Ripple Effect of Chronic Stress
Stress is meant to be a short-term reaction, but when it becomes chronic, it overwhelms your system. This constant flood of stress hormones spreads throughout your body, leading to symptoms like irregular heartbeats, brain fog, muscle tension, and more. Your entire physical health can suffer from unresolved, ongoing stress.
How ART Helps
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) focuses on identifying and addressing these stored emotions and physical sensations. Through eye movements, ART helps desensitize and reprocess these emotions in a way that positively reshapes how they are stored in the body. This process doesn’t just target the rational mind, but goes much deeper; offering a holistic, long-lasting impact.
As ART works on these deep-rooted emotions, you’ll not only notice changes in the traumatic images but also experience relief from the physical symptoms tied to those memories.
Find an ART trained therapist near you visit
www.acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com
PMID: 34635928
