Studies have shown a connection between childhood trauma and the development of autoimmune diseases in adulthood. For example, research has found that individuals who experienced childhood abuse or neglect have a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) or more broadly, complex trauma, describes a condition that presents very much like PTSD. The difference in these two classifications is that with C-PTSD the sufferer experienced prolonged periods of severe stress, abuse or neglect.