Your Childhood Trauma Is Causing Your Autoimmune Disease | Erica Komisar | Dr. Josh Axe

The Dr. Josh Axe Show

Dr. Josh Axe

Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness, Christianity

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2026

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

I have spent decades helping patients heal through diet, exercise, and natural remedies, but there is one injury that supplements can't fix: emotional trauma. Whether it’s "Big T" trauma or the "Little t" trauma of chronic neglect, these emotional scars manifest as autoimmune disease, cancer, and hormone imbalances later in life. In this episode, psychoanalyst Erica Komisar joins me to explain why the first three years of life are the "critical period" for physical health and how we can heal the mind-body connection. We explore the mechanics of the HPA Axis, focusing on the Amygdala (the stress "on" switch) and the Hippocampus (the "off" switch). Erica explains how early childhood stress can "burn out" the brain's ability to regulate cortisol, leading to a permanent state of survival mode. We also discuss the definition of Depression (preoccupation with past loss) versus Anxiety (preoccupation with future loss) and how both act as pathogens on the human immune system. Watch The Dr. Josh Axe Show every Monday & Thursday on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@drjoshaxe?sub_confirmation=1⁠ 🎧 Early Access! Our podcast listeners get every episode early, and you can tune in and be a part of our exclusive listeners below → ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple Podcast⁠ Order my NEW BOOK, The Biblio Diet → ⁠https://bit.ly/4oPEP3t⁠ Watch my free training on how to naturally balance your blood sugar and reverse your symptoms → ⁠DrAxeDiabetesClass.com⁠ Discover practical steps you can take today to start healing your thyroid naturally → ⁠DrAxeThyroidClass.com⁠ If you’re ready to start feeling like yourself again and balance your hormones, take my free class → ⁠DrAxeHormoneClass.com⁠ Uncover what’s really going on in your body with advanced biomarker testing for hormones, thyroid, and metabolism— plus a 1-hour consultation with a Senior Health Advisor! → ⁠MyBloodWork.com⁠ CONNECT WITH DR. JOSH AXE ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠ ⁠X⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Website⁠ ⁠Sign up for my newsletter⁠ ⁠Ask me a question CONNECT WITH GUEST Instagram Facebook X Being There The Parent's Guide to Divorce DISCLAIMER This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Axe nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When was the last time you stopped and listened to your body?
0:03.0	Here's a Holland and Barrett ad break to do just that.
0:06.0	Go on, tune in.
0:08.0	Think about your body when you exercise.
0:11.0	Are those knees creaking?
0:13.0	Are your muscles ever so slightly aching?
0:16.0	Or are they trying to say,
0:18.0	You've got to show me love.
0:22.1	We know what your body's asking for.
0:24.8	In store online on the app.
0:27.2	Back Your Body, Holland and Barrett.
0:30.0	Identity formation starts from the moment that you're born.
0:33.2	The environment is critical to developing that sense of security.
0:37.2	I'm responsible for two things.
0:38.3	One, helping them grow in their character, and then helping them grow in their unique
0:42.3	gifts and skills God's given them.
0:44.3	And what that means is being there enough, knowing them enough.
0:48.3	These are eternal souls, eternal beings, and God put them in your care.
0:52.3	And what that means in terms of the responsibility is just huge.
0:57.0	Depression is preoccupation with unresolved past losses.
1:02.0	And anxiety is preoccupation with future losses that have not occurred and may never occur.
1:08.0	By the way, you gave the best definition of depression and anxiety I've ever heard of.
	...

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