Trauma doesn’t just affect the mind — it lives in the body.
For those who have experienced complex trauma, especially from childhood, violent events, or systemic oppression, the body’s ability to regulate metabolism, appetite, and weight can be significantly altered. At The Social Work Concierge, we help clients understand that what looks like a “health issue” is often a trauma response the body has carried for years.
What Is Complex Trauma?
Complex trauma refers to chronic, repeated exposure to traumatic experiences — often beginning in childhood. This may include:
- Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
- Neglect or abandonment
- Systemic racism or cultural oppression
- Long-term exposure to poverty, instability, or unsafe environments
Unlike a single traumatic event, complex trauma rewires the body and brain to expect threat at all times, which directly impacts metabolism and long-term physical health.
How Trauma Affects the Body’s Metabolism
🔄 Chronic Stress and Cortisol
When the body is constantly in survival mode, the brain floods the system with cortisol (the stress hormone). Over time, this leads to:
- Slower metabolism
- Increased abdominal fat
- Blood sugar dysregulation
- Chronic fatigue and cravings
This is not about willpower — it’s about biology.
🧠 Nervous System Dysregulation
Complex trauma keeps the sympathetic nervous system activated (fight/flight), which can disrupt:
- Appetite
- Sleep cycles
- Energy levels
- Digestion and elimination
The result: your body loses track of when it’s safe to rest, eat, or repair.
🔥 Inflammation and Immune Response
Unresolved trauma increases inflammation throughout the body — a key contributor to:
- Insulin resistance
- Weight gain
- Autoimmune disorders
- Cardiovascular disease
This connection is especially important in Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities that carry generations of stress and harm.
🍽️ Disordered Eating and Body Disconnection
Trauma survivors may struggle with:
- Emotional eating
- Skipping meals due to dissociation or hypervigilance
- Craving “comfort foods” to self-soothe
- Feeling disconnected from hunger and fullness cues
For many, food becomes a way to feel something — or to feel nothing.
Why This Matters for Marginalized Communities
Systemic trauma compounds biological trauma. For Black, Brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ people, complex trauma is often layered with:
- Racial and cultural oppression
- Medical neglect or bias
- Poverty, environmental stress, and food deserts
- Misdiagnosis or dismissal in traditional health care settings
That’s why traditional weight-loss advice often fails — it doesn’t address the root cause.
What Healing Can Look Like
Healing your metabolism after trauma is not about restriction — it’s about reconnection.
Here’s what we support at The Social Work Concierge:
✔️ Somatic therapy to regulate the nervous system
✔️ Mindful eating and body awareness practices
✔️ Culturally affirming spaces that honor your lived experience
✔️ Rest as medicine
✔️ Compassionate care that treats your body like a survivor — not a problem
Final Thought: Your Body Is Not Broken
If you’ve been blaming yourself for your weight, your fatigue, or your cravings — take a deep breath.
Your body is not failing you.
Your body is protecting you.
Let’s work together to move from survival to healing — gently, intentionally, and without shame.
📍 Virtual therapy available across Michigan
📞 Call/Text: (616) 345-0616
🌐 www.socialworkconcierge.com 📧 leonica@socialworkconcierge.com
🖤 Healing should never be a privilege. Let’s make it a priority.
The Social Work Concierge, LLC 
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