Gastroenterology & Endoscopy

Biography

Biography: Amy Oestreicher

Abstract

In 2005, A mild stomachache led to a total gastrectomy 48 hours later.  In this presentation, I will be serving as my own case study.  How does psychological trauma affect the body and how can it inform both medical and mental health professionals?  At 17 I was sexually abused for eight months, causing severe stress, invoking the “freeze” response in trauma.  Withholding this secret caused severe anxiety and panic attacks.  Two weeks after I finally disclosed my secret, I developed a blood clot on the mesenteric artery leading to gangrene of the intestines.  My stomach literally burst to the ceiling of the OR, both my lungs collapsed, I required 122 units of blood, and I was in a coma for months.  27 surgeries later, and six full years unable to eat or drink, I was reconstructed with the intestines that remained.  How can stress lead to such physical traumas?  How can the mind so dramatically affect the physical body?

Psychological stress has a profound effect on the body and illness.  When stress occurs, the hypothalamus secretes CRH that signals a reaction through a hormone signal pathway.  ACTH is then released, but when this chain of events is turned on repeated in times of high stress like PTSD, the organs can never rest, inducing various physical illnesses and tissues damage.    There is a large effect that this has on the stomach and intestines, causing various digestive problems.  Mental disorders can also be caused when stress quickly activates our system, causing quick alarmed reactions that can lead health damage. As I experienced my abuse and relived it over and over again, the pathway repeated itself relentlessly, and therefore, digestive damage was eventually caused.