On the mind-body connection

did you know how you feel is directly connected to your thoughts?

Jul 08, 2025

For years I have struggled with stomach and digestive issues. YEARS. I’ve seen a countless doctors, have had countless tests and scans run, been prescribed multiple medications and supplement routines, tried eliminating food groups from my diet, all ultimately leading to two diagnoses - irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia.

In other words - I have chronic stomach pain and digestive issues and no one knows why.

For anyone else out there who has received similar diagnoses or who has been passed from doctor to doctor to test to prescription to etc. to etc. - you know how incredibly frustrating it can be.

Making your healthcare a second full time job. It’s exhausting.

It consumes your time and your thoughts. It distracts you from living in the present moment, from enjoying time with your loved ones. It takes away from your favorite activities.

And even more than affecting your physical health, it can begin to take a toll on you mentally. You start to feel crazy. You gaslight yourself - “Maybe nothing is wrong with me. All my bloodwork is fine. My scans are fine. The doctor says they can’t find any abnormalities. No celiac, no SIBO, no gut dysbiosis, no leaky gut syndrome” - the list goes on. You wonder if you’ve made it all up in your head.

Like I said - for YEARS I’ve dealt with this endless loop. I’ve even found a new allergy to an IBS medication I was prescribed from my gastroenterologist - FUN! - resulting in an urgent care visit and a steroid injection in my hip - DOUBLE FUN!

I’m not sharing this for pity or just to give you the embarrassing details of my intestinal issues. I’m sharing it for those dealing with a similar experience.

I see you. I validate your struggles. They’re real. It’s not all in your head. And there IS a future in which you don’t have to deal with your symptoms on the daily.

You see - sometimes we have an issue that’s caused by a physical ailment. And sometimes, our body is trying to talk to us by presenting physical issues from emotional stress or trauma.

I used to get so mad when doctors would tell me “it’s just stress.” The symptoms I was experiencing were very physical, very real. And it felt like they thought I was making them up. But there was some truth to what the doctors were saying. I was so stressed that my body decided if I wouldn’t slow myself down my body would force me to slow down.

That’s where the physical symptoms came to be as a result from emotional stress.

This week’s Health by Haven Podcast episode is all about the mind-body connection. About why you might be experiencing physical symptoms and doctors don’t know why. About how your emotional state or past traumas might be presenting in your body.

I’m so thrilled I get to share my acupuncturist, Rebekah Knause, with you during this week’s episode. I started seeing Rebekah to help manage some feelings of anxiety as well as my IBS as an alternative to the western medicine approach.

Acupuncture is something I considered for a long time because I have a lot of friends that have found it really helpful for both anxiety and IBS, but I am terrified of needles so it honestly took me yearsss to finally give it a try. I’m still a newbie, but I’ve already started seeing positive results from the treatment and I’m excited to continue my visits to see the impacts on my mental and physical health!

Rebekah is the owner of Balanced You Clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee. She is a licensed Acupuncturist with the state of TN and holds diplomate status with the NCCAOM. She graduated from the Jung Tao School of Chinese Medicine and has been a practicing massage therapist for the past 18 years.

In the episode, Rebekah shares so much information about Chinese medicine, acupuncture, how the body is interconnected, the mind-body connection, effects of stress and trauma on the physical body, and more.

If you want to learn more about eastern medicine modalities and about what it’s like to see an acupuncturist (especially if you’re nervous like I was!), this episode is a must-listen!

For more on acupuncture and the Balanced You Clinic: @balancedyouclinic
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