Her Body Remembers What She Can’t Say: The Hidden Roots of Chronic Stomach Pain in Girls

A girl sits alone with her head down, clutching her stomach in discomfort. Her expression reflects both physical pain and emotional distress—capturing the silent suffering many girls experience when trauma lives in the body as unexplained stomach symptoms

The gut is often referred to as the "second brain." And for good reason. It’s packed with nerve endings and constantly communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve.

When a girl experiences emotional stress, neglect, or trauma, her gut often absorbs the weight.

She may not even remember the event, or it may be ongoing—a chaotic household, a relative who makes her uncomfortable, a teacher who crosses boundaries. But her body knows.

Trauma and the Female Body: The Unspoken Epidemic

According to the CDC:

• 1 in 4 women in the U.S. has been sexually abused or assaulted.

• 1 in 9 girls experiences sexual abuse before age 18.

• The perpetrator is most often someone the child knows.

These aren’t rare cases. These are hidden epidemics. And when unaddressed, the trauma embeds itself in the nervous system—often surfacing as physical illness.

Studies show strong correlations between early sexual abuse and:

• IBS

• Obesity

• Fibromyalgia

• Depression

• Chronic fatigue

• Autoimmune conditions

  
  

Why the Stomach?

The stomach is where many girls hold fear. When they are overwhelmed, shamed, silenced, or abused, their nervous system responds with real, physical pain.

Girls who are kind, quiet, and accommodating are often the ones who get overlooked. But they’re also the most vulnerable to long-term symptoms from unresolved trauma.

What You Can Do as a Mother or Caregiver

1. Believe the symptoms, even when tests say nothing.

2. Ask gentle but open questions: “Has anyone ever touched you in a way that made you feel uncomfortable?”

3. Create safety, not pressure. Many girls don’t realize what happened was wrong until much later.

4. Consider trauma-informed therapy even without a disclosed event.

5. Watch for patterns. If symptoms flare after certain visits, environments, or conversations, pay attention.

   
   

This Can Be Her Turning Point

IBS, obesity, anxiety, autoimmune disease—these are all adult consequences of emotional trauma that went unspoken in childhood.

But this moment right now? This is your opportunity to rewrite that future.

Your listening ear could be the start of her healing.

Early intervention can spare her a lifetime of suffering.

You don’t need all the answers today. But you do need to stay curious. Because her body remembers. And when she feels heard, she can finally start to heal.

Share. Be Heard. Heal.

— Dr. Su