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So many of us on a healing journey with Hashimoto’s or thyroid issues eventually hit a wall. We change our diet, take our supplements, adjust our medications, yet something still holds us back. In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Aimie Apigian, physician, author of The Biology of Trauma, and founder of Trauma Healing Accelerated, to uncover one of the biggest missing links in thyroid healing: unresolved trauma.
Trauma is often misunderstood. It’s not just “big, obvious events,” but also subtle experiences – from early attachment wounds to overwhelming stress our body never processed. Dr. Aimie and I explored how trauma becomes embedded in the nervous system, why it fuels autoimmunity, and how we can finally create a biology of safety in our bodies. Her own story, from foster parenting to her personal autoimmune journey, makes this episode especially powerful.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing “all the right things” but still aren’t healing, this conversation may give you the missing piece.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Trauma isn’t always what you think. Many people dismiss their experiences because they didn’t have “big T” trauma. Dr. Aimie explains how even subtle or forgotten childhood events can rewire the nervous system, making the body feel unsafe and setting the stage for autoimmunity.
- Autoimmunity can be a trauma response. The body’s immune system reflects what the nervous system has learned: “it’s not safe to be me.” This creates a biology of trauma that keeps us in fight, flight, or freeze, driving thyroid imbalances and chronic fatigue.
- Why stress management isn’t enough. Breathwork, meditation, or cold plunges may help stress, but if the body is in trauma physiology, those tools can backfire. Healing requires working within your body’s capacity and building a “window of tolerance” for safety.
- How attachment wounds can affect thyroid health. From not being held enough as a baby to learning to suppress needs in childhood, these early experiences train us to abandon ourselves. Dr. Aimie shares how these patterns directly connect to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s.
- Signs you might have stored trauma. Feeling constantly unsafe, being stuck in cycles of overwhelm, having unexplained fatigue, or always waiting for the “next shoe to drop” are all red flags that your body may be carrying unresolved trauma.
- Tools that create a biology of safety. Somatic practices, EMDR, neurofeedback, and Dr. Aimie’s five somatic self-practices can shift the nervous system out of trauma and into safety – often in under five minutes – without needing to rely on substances or old coping strategies.
Guest Resources / Connect with Dr. Aimie Apigian
- Read Dr. Aimie’s new book: The Biology of Trauma: How the Body Holds Fear, Pain, and Overwhelm, and How to Heal It – This groundbreaking book breaks down the latest research to reveal how trauma impacts our bodies on a cellular level and offers an empowering path to whole-body healing. You can pre-order it here on Amazon!
- Learn more and sign up for Dr. Aimie’s newsletter on the Biology of Trauma website.
- Follow Dr. Apigian on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok
- Listen to the Biology of Trauma Podcast With Dr. Aimie Apigian
Supplements We Discussed
- Adaptogens (e.g. ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil) – Can steady stress responses and support adrenal function when cortisol is low or erratic; best used gently and within your current “window of tolerance,” not as a push-through stimulant.
- Mitochondrial support (e.g. CoQ10, acetyl-L-carnitine, riboflavin, magnesium, alpha-lipoic acid) – Targets the low-energy, “cell danger” physiology by improving ATP production and antioxidant capacity, which can reduce fatigue and support thyroid symptom recovery.
- Vitamin D3 + K2 – Helps modulate immune activity and inflammation commonly seen in autoimmunity; aim for optimal (not just “normal”) levels with periodic testing. Read more about the benefits of vitamin D.
- Omega-3s (EPA/DHA) – May lower systemic inflammation that amplifies trauma physiology and autoimmune flares; helpful for mood and cell-membrane resiliency. Consider Pure Encapsulations EPA/DHA Essentials.
- Magnesium – Calms the nervous system, supports sleep and muscle relaxation, and serves as a cofactor in hundreds of cellular reactions relevant to stress recovery. Consider Rootcology Magnesium Citrate or Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate.
- B-complex (with active B12 and methylfolate when appropriate) – Supports neurotransmitter balance, energy metabolism, and methylation – which are key when stress/trauma has taxed nervous-system chemistry.
- Electrolytes (sodium/potassium/magnesium) – Useful for those with low cortisol or “tired but wired” patterns; supports blood pressure, energy, and nervous system stability without over-stimulating. Consider Rootcology Electrolyte Blend.
Other Tools and Resources
- Somatic self-practices (Dr. Aimie’s 5-Day Nervous System Reset) – Short, body-based exercises (often under five minutes) to shift from overwhelm into “safe enough” in the moment, interrupting spirals and building regulation over time. Get it on her website when you pre-order the book.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – A structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess unintegrated memories so present-day triggers lose their charge.
- Neurofeedback – Trains brainwave patterns toward greater flexibility and regulation; can reduce hypervigilance, improve sleep, and support executive function alongside thyroid healing.
- “Window of tolerance” planning – A practical framework to right-size life demands to your current capacity (energy, stress, recovery), then gradually expand that window without re-traumatizing.
- Vagus-nerve work (used thoughtfully) – Gentle breath, hum, or orienting practices can support parasympathetic tone; avoid aggressive protocols if you’re in shutdown/freeze, as they can surface stored material too fast.
- Pacing & energy budgeting – Micro-breaks, task chunking, and recovery buffers reduce overwhelm and prevent “push-crash” cycles that keep trauma physiology and autoimmune symptoms alive.
- Sleep hygiene & circadian anchors – Morning light exposure, evening light reduction, and consistent sleep/wake times stabilize cortisol rhythms and mitochondrial recovery.
- Trauma-informed movement – Low-intensity, capacity-matched movement (e.g. walking, gentle strength, mobility) builds resilience without tipping into stress or shutdown; skip cold plunges/HIIT if they spike overwhelm.
- Functional lab testing – There are lab tests available for checking various biomarkers, including your cortisol (ZRT saliva test), gut health (GI-MAP stool test), nutrient status, mitochondrial markers, and toxin exposure (MycoTOX test and Organic Acids Test). Read my article on the key lab tests for Hashimoto’s to learn more about the various tests.
- Community and co-regulation – Safe, attuned relationships (groups, therapy, trusted friends) provide the “I’m with you” signal the nervous system needs to rewire away from “all alone.”
- Repair practices – Intentional, compassionate repair (with self and others) rewrites attachment patterns of self-abandonment; essential for shifting the “it’s not safe to be me” internal narrative.
Books and Articles About Trauma & Autoimmunity
- The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma – book by Bessel van der Kolk
- Adrenal Transformation Protocol: A 4-Week Plan to Release Stress Symptoms and Go from Surviving to Thriving – book by Dr. Izabella Wentz
- When the Body Says No – book by Dr. Gabor Maté
- Why Women Have More Thyroid Disorders: The Izabella Wentz Safety Theory
- Are Your Adrenals Sabotaging Your Health
- The Importance of Electrolytes for Hashimoto’s
- Studies on Magnesium and Thyroid Health
- How Do Adaptogenic Herbs Benefit Hashimoto’s?
- Sleep Solutions for Hashimoto’s
Get the Full Episode Transcript
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Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 🙂
About Our Host
Dr. Izabella Wentz
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms.
Dr. Izabella Wentz has written several best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, the protocol-based #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health, and her latest book, Adrenal Transformation Protocol.
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About Our Guest
Dr. Aimie Apigian is a double board-certified physician in preventive and addiction medicine, with advanced degrees in biochemistry, public health, and specialized training in functional medicine. She is the founder of The Mind Body Biology Institute and trains practitioners in The Biology of Trauma®, a lens that addresses how the body holds fear, pain, and overwhelm that makes one sick and stuck. Dr. Aimie’s unique integration of multiple modalities from medicine to neuroscience to therapy modalities has helped thousands of people and practitioners around the world to be in their best health and their best authentic selves.
Her recent book, The Biology of Trauma, is a groundbreaking exploration of the science of how the body experiences trauma, why it holds on, and what it needs for healing. The book is endorsed by Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned expert in trauma and addiction, who has written the foreword. Inspired by her experience as a foster and adoptive mother, Dr. Aimie’s work blends her rigorous medical training with a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological impacts of trauma, offering a practical, integrative, holistic approach to healing focused on addressing the 3 levels needed for true healing: mind, body, and biology.
This Podcast holds the answers I’ve been looking for the past 40+ years!!
My heart is full of awe and gratitude. Thank you ❤
Hi Dorothy, Thank you so much! I’m deeply touched to hear this, and I’m so glad the podcast could bring you clarity after all these years. Your gratitude truly warms my heart.