ACEs, Early Stress, and Immune Risk

In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore autoimmune conditions through a nervous-system and psychoneuroimmunology lens—moving beyond the idea that the body is "attacking itself." Instead, we examine autoimmunity as an adaptive output of a system that has lived in chronic threat for too long.

Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof unpack how immune response, emotional expression, boundaries, trauma history, and social stress intersect at the level of physiology. Drawing on research from ACEs, chronic inflammation, the HPA axis, the inflammatory reflex, and shame-based immune activation, they explain how the brain's predictions—rather than isolated biology—shape immune behavior.

You'll hear why autoimmune conditions disproportionately affect women and marginalized communities, how emotional suppression and boundary violations translate into inflammation, and why anger, shame, and safety are biological—not just psychological—processes. The episode closes with a grounded conversation on post-traumatic growth: what it means to live in partnership with the body, retrain predictions through sensory and interoceptive work, and expand resilience alongside medical care. This is an invitation to replace self-blame with curiosity—and to see regulation, expression, and safety as central to immune health.

• 00:00 – Intro: Autoimmune as protection, not self-attack

• 08:40 – Autoimmune, ACEs, gender, and nervous system prediction

• 21:05 – Chronic inflammation, HPA axis & the inflammatory reflex

• 35:20 – Boundaries, anger, shame & post-traumatic growth

• 52:00 – Closing reflections & integration

• Autoimmune responses can be understood as nervous-system outputs shaped by prediction and chronic threat.

• Early adversity, emotional suppression, and social stress significantly increase inflammatory load.

• Boundaries are physiological capacities rooted in interoception and proprioception—not just communication skills.

• Training safety, expression, and regulation can complement medical care and reduce flare frequency.

Join us for a free NSI workshop Feb 11: Integrating the Nervous System with Precision and Purpose: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/integration-workshop/

Learn to work with Boundaries at the level of the body and nervous system at boundaryrewire.com

Sacred Synapse: an educational YouTube channel founded by Jennifer Wallace that explores nervous system regulation, applied neuroscience, consciousness, and psychedelic preparation and integration through Neurosomatic Intelligence.

Wayfinder Journal: Track nervous system patterns and support preparation and integration through Neurosomatic Intelligence.

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• NIH – Autoimmune Diseases & Women: https://orwh.od.nih.gov/research/maternal-morbidity-mortality/autoimmune-diseases

• Danese & Lewis (2017) Psychoneuroimmunology of Early-Life Stress: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27860545/

• Dube et al. (2009) ACEs & Autoimmune Risk: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19234146/

• McEwen & Gianaros (2016) Stress, Brain & Disease: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26766224/

• Dickerson & Kemeny (2004) Shame, Social Threat & Inflammation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15250837/

Disclaimer:

Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

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We invite guests onto the podcast. Please note that we don't verify the accuracy of their statements. Our organization does not endorse third-party content and the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of our organization. We talk about general neuro-science and nervous system health, but you are unique. These are conversations for a wide audience. They are general recommendations and you are always advised to seek personal care for your unique outputs, trauma and needs.

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