WHAT CAUSES AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES?

“The psychical trauma- or more precisely the memory of the trauma- acts like a foreign body which long after its entry must continue to be regarded as an agent that is still at work” ~Sigmund Freud and Josef Breuer

          Think about the above statement for a moment… If you can, it helps to visualize or picture big and little shards of glass piercing your mind every time you are verbally, physically, sexually or otherwise abused and gaslighted ,etc. What happens when you don’t remove or treat that shard of glass that has entered your body? It will fester and get infected! In other words, the “result and effects” of these often invisible assaults on us don’t just go away. they affect our psyche and bodies, especially the Central Nervous System and immune system the same way a virus or bacteria (foreign invader) does.

          The mystery of autoimmune diseases may not be that much of a mystery after all… Maybe we’ve just been looking in some of the wrong places… Although the number of people developing autoimmune diseases is on the rise, they are still a mystery to many people, including many doctors and scientists.  According to the John Hopkins University website, there are over 100 autoimmune diseases, many with sub-categories. They are also at an all time high here in the U.S.  According to the “National Institute of Health”, “up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune diseases.” There is a full spectrum of symptoms that range anywhere from annoying, all the way to death, depending on which disease, the severity and the system under attack. 

          The body’s immune system starts to attack healthy tissue, by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines which cause inflammation at the site of the attack. Attacks are either organ specific or systemic, where antibodies can be found in cells all around the body. These attacks on healthy tissue, result in much pain and other complications, such as severe inflammation that can be destructive, cause arthritis, and organ damage.  And just to clarify, people do not die from autoimmune diseases, per se, they die from the complications they cause.  For example, when Lupus causes the immune system to attack, let’s say, a person’s kidneys, as is the case in lupus nephritis, it can cause kidney failure, which of course can be fatal. 

          When my body developed Systemic Lupus Erythematosus years ago, my symptoms manifested mainly as joint and muscle pain, severe exhaustion, and cognitive difficulties.  I did have a couple bouts of pleurisy (where your immune system attacks the lining of your lungs and is extremely painful). I know others who have SLE as well, yet their symptoms (where their immune system has chosen to attack) are different than mine.   

          Until recently, there have only been  a few “known” causes of autoimmune diseases.  Mainly a few viruses, bacteria and environmental toxins, and even then,  scientists are still not sure of the exact etiology or mechanisms of how it happens.  Every single study or academic paper I have ever read regarding a “possible cause” for autoimmune diseases is unable to clearly explain the exact process from beginning to end and they all state that much exploration and research still needs to be done to understand how and why this happens.  In other words, scientists and researchers have uncovered bits and pieces of a process that can cause a malfunctioning immune response (which does not necessarily mean a full blown autoimmune disease which is chronic over time) but they still don’t know many of the “hows” or the “why”s. For the most part, they’ve figured out so far that the Epstein Barr Virus (Herpes Virus #4) , and Herpes Virus’ # 6 and possibly #7 (Roseola), retrovirus and rotavirus, and the Coxsackie B Virus (CBV), can trigger autoimmunity. 

           Recently there’s been a lot of talk regarding the gut microbiome as a possible “cause” of autoimmune diseases and even depression.   I’ve seen massive marketing campaigns for the sales of micro, macro, pre, post, and everything else “biotics” and nutrients “especial’” that are claiming to cure autoimmune diseases, all based on some fairly recent studies and the field of Functional Medicine. PLEASE DO SOME INVESTIGATING BEFORE YOU RUSH TO BUY THESE EXPENSIVE ITEMS! ESPECIALLY IF YOUR AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESS IS ABUSE OR TRAUMA BASED. I’ll sum it up here quickly by saying that nothing you ingest is going to help or repair all of the mental, CNS, immune system damage or deep seated psychological phenomena that occurs in abusive situations and relationships. Just like nutrients, supplements or “good bacteria” cannot re-attune your out of sync emotional and rational brains or keep our amygdala from mistaking too many things and situations as “dangerous.” Please understand, nutrients and supplements, etc. can nourish and repair the physical tissue in our bodies and restore what our bodies are low on or missing, but they cannot repair invisible psychological damage. Also, NO WHERE IN ANY OF THESE STUDIES HAS IT SHOWN THAT they are curing these diseases, or that certain gut bacteria or anything in the gut microbiome begins, causes, or starts autoimmune diseases or depression!!! Most are a “result of”, and part of a process that was already set in motion by another root cause, which is what needs to be addressed.   These studies have only been able to show correlations, relationships or links, which hardly comes close to a “cause”. According to the article ”Links Between Gut Microbes and Depression Strengthened”, on the Nature.com website, “These findings do not PROVE cause and effect-they only show correlations between specific gut bacteria, their metabolites and neurological symptoms.”  Also please keep in mind that most of these studies have been done on animal models, not human models. This matters because animal models don’t accurately mirror human behaviors and traits. A recent study was done in Belgium with only a thousand cohorts (a longitudinal study over time) and again, even though this study was done on humans, it was NOT able to prove or even show that gut microbiome or any of it’s contents causes these terrible diseases or depression. What this study did show, however, was that there is a relationship between the microbiome and depression.  According to Jeroen Raes, Senior Researcher in this new study, “None of that (their findings) proves that bacteria somehow contribute to-or protect from depression.” At best this study has shown us that the gut microbiome may feed depression but it is definitely not causing it, much less autoimmune diseases. These studies include bacteria such as, Entreobacteriaceae family, Bordetella, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bacteroides fragilis and Enterococcus gallinarum (in the gut microbiome). Scientists have listed molecular mimicry, epitope spreading, bystander activation and immortalization of infected B cells, as some of the  possible ways these viruses and bacteria may cause immune responses.   I’ve also seen a few “nutritional and supplement” companies that are engaging in “scare campaigns” to frighten people into believing that just about everything you put in your mouth or come in contact with in the environment, can and will cause autoimmune disorders and diseases. If that were truly the case, WE’D ALL HAVE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES!

          Some environmental toxins have also been identified as possible causes of autoimmune diseases. Metals such as mercury and lead, toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, ethylene oxide and BPA, have also been implicated as possible causes as well, but again, the exact mechanism is not fully understood.  Some vaccines, food additives and chemicals have also been implicated as possible culprits as well but again, nothing definitive.

            So how is it that as many as 23.5 million Americans have autoimmune diseases but there are so few “real known causes”???  This doesn’t make any sense when you consider the vast amount of people suffering from these diseases. These few viruses, bacteria, and environmental and chemical toxins cannot be responsible for all these diseases.  It is statistically impossible.

             None of these numbers seem to “jive, fit or make sense, when we look at these diseases from a purely medical and scientific framework (template/context, etc) like science has been doing with our current “Medical Model” here in the United States, but if we look at these diseases and the massive number of people being diagnosed with them, in a “Psychosocial’”or “Social” framework, THE HIGH AMOUNT OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, MAKES PERFECT SENSE!!!!  So do the “hows” and the “whys”, and the process and mechanisms can be explained from beginning to end.  THERE ARE NO MISSING PUZZLE PIECES…

             Recent research in the relatively newer fields of neuroscience, interpersonal neurobiology and developmental psychopathology and the experts at the forefront of this research, such as Dr. Stephen Porges (The Polyvagal Theory), Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk (author of the bestselling  book- “The Body Keeps the Score), Dr. Dan Siegel (expert in field of interpersonal neurobiology) , Dr. Peter Levine and others , have shown us that certain traumas, child abuse, domestic abuse, the intense negative emotions that go with those,  and the body being stuck in physiological and chemical “fight or flight”, as a result of such abuse or trauma are not only CAUSING (the catalyst) the vast majority of these deadly autoimmune diseases but are also the culprit for many other “pre-autoimmune disease”  illnesses such as; Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fybromyalgia, PTSD, IBS, digestive problems, gluten sensitivity, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Thyroid disorders, myalgias, polymyalgias, etc. that can easily further develop into full blown autoimmune diseases as inflammation in the body increases. This is what happened to me…

          Child and Domestic abuse are at EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS here in America and have been for a long time.  There are an estimated 10 MILLION people who experience domestic violence/abuse each year (mostly women) in the United States (according to Wikipedia) and another 7. 5 MILLION reports of child abuse in 2017 (according to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services).   These staggering numbers  not only repeat themselves and increase year after year after year… NO WONDER SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES!!! Please keep in mind that those numbers only represent those that were “reported”,  which means it’s fair to estimate that these numbers are probably 3 to 5 times higher.  And that’s not even factoring in all the poor war veterans who’s PTSD or subclinical PTSD symptoms from war trauma has caused their body’s to develop a pre-autoimmune disease illness such as the ones I listed in the above paragraph or a full blown autoimmune disease such as , Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, Scleroderma, Hashimoto’s, Celiac’s Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Psoriasis, Myasthenia Gravis, and more.

          The treatment protocols for trauma and abuse caused illnesses are very different from the routine traditional protocols that are now in place for these illnesses and autoimmune diseases.  This can also explain why current treatments don’t heal us, especially in the long term. People, myself included, have been receiving futile (and very toxic and dangerous) treatments and medication that cause severe side effects that rival the symptoms they’re supposed to treat.  Real treatment for trauma/abuse based illnesses are very different and do not involve going to a medical doctor for medication, shots or other traditional treatments so these people are not receiving proper treatment when they should be. If we ever expect to heal from these terrible storms in our bodies, there needs to be a momentus pendulum shift in the way our medical industry not only views these illnesses but in the way they are treating them.  We need less toxic medication and much more mind and body healing techniques and practices, many of which are free of cost.  More Eastern Medicine principles, beliefs and techniques need to be incorporated and employed in order to heal the hyperactive systems that drive the inflammation which causes these diseases.  It is time for the Western Medicine “EGO” and its “‘GREED” to step aside for the more promising and healing Eastern medicine beliefs, mind sets and practices. There has been enough research and studies showing how trauma and abuse cause our central nervous systems to become “revved up”, like an engine running on too high rpm’s, which in turn, causes a cascade of systemic failures. These include the faulty rebalancing of the immune system to a more  pro-   inflammatory state, which creates and sends out pro-inflammatory cytokines to attack healthy tissue (inflammation). This research has also shown how mirror neurons, memory cells, and molecular mimicry, are also involved in this process. SO WHY DOES OUR MEDICAL SYSTEM STILL TREAT AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES ALL THE SAME-ORGAN OR SYSTEM SPECIFIC??? IT IS THE INFLAMMATION AND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THAT INFLAMMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND TREATED, INSTEAD OF JUST TREATING THE SYMPTOMS OVER AND OVER.  Sorry…I didn’t mean to yell, but as someone who lived the above scenario for a very long time, I am very passionate about this!!! Our Medical system here should no longer be able to turn a blind eye to this FACT.  

          For more information on how exactly trauma and abuse cause physiological changes in the body that develop into these illnesses, I have other articles on this website that explain the process in more detail, or you can also do your own research on the web by taking a look at Stephen Porges’ “Polyvagal Theory” and the works of Dr. Dan Siegal, Dr. Peter Levine and the book “The Body Keeps The Score”, by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk.  Also, please check out the “ACE Studies”, which explains the causation and correlation between childhood abuse and neglect and the development of autoimmune diseases later in life. It is not only disturbing and profound, but is also a scary eye opener to the fact that we all need to start being a lot nicer to each other…. Thank you for reading!