Why Most Gut Healing Protocols Don’t Work

The Root Cause Series Part 4 of 8

Digestive disorders affect a significant amount of people in the US and if you’ve ever been to a conventional gastroenterologist with a chronic GI issue, you probably already know that they are not that helpful. Sorry … but not sorry because most of them do a colonoscopy and send you on your way with little to no guidance. This is likely why so many people with chronic digestive complaints pursue integrative and functional medicine. There is so much we can do to support gut health with dietary changes, stool testing, microbiome optimization, botanical medicine and nutrient supplementation. And while this type of support usually does lead to symptom improvement, it still doesn’t address the root cause.

Diagnoses like IBS, IBDs, SIBO and colitis are not simply effects of a singular cause. They are the body’s way of telling a bigger story- and in my experience, that story often leads to the true roots of dis-ease- an underlying theme of dysfunction that doesn’t limit its expression to digestive distress, but extends its branches into the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our health as well.

Where there is leaky gut, there is often poor boundaries, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, skin issues, an inner critic that won’t let up, or an endless pursuit of self improvement. Even when digestion is going well, there is always something to fix. This is because underneath it all is the root cause theme of shame- an unconscious belief that there are parts of ourselves that are not worthy of being parts of ourselves- parts that belong in hiding. We all have this wound pattern to some degree because it’s a byproduct of our shared values and conditioned beliefs about what makes a person worthy of love and success.

When unconscious shame is at the wheel, the inner critic reminds us to stay small, emphasize our strengths, hide our perceived weaknesses and keep up appearances. And this works really well … until it doesn’t. Eventually we want more for ourselves. We want to try something new, change our careers, have a bigger impact or indulge in a gluten containing baked good. Sooner or later, growth requires vulnerability. And this is when the real healing begins.

This is the 4th piece in a series about root cause medicine. I’m working my way through the seven most common themes I see in my private practice.

In this piece you will find:

• A deep dive into shame- where it comes from, what is looks like and more

• How shame can present in our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health

• What’s missing from almost every gut healing protocol

• The antidote to shame

• A practice to support healing this root cause pattern

  If you are enjoying the root cause series and are interested in learning more about the the seven root causes in a live container with me, you can sign up for the waitlist for my new course, Root Cause Revolution here. Details coming soon.

The root cause pattern of shame typically emerges during the third, seven year cycle of life, when we’re teenagers, claiming our independence, defining our identity, and getting a lot of feedback about our strengths and weakness from the outside world. We want to feel capable and confident as we move into adulthood so it’s natural to emphasize our strengths and develop the things we’re celebrated for. But the unfortunate consequence of this is that our vulnerabilities and perceived weaknesses remain hidden. The more we’re encouraged and rewarded for our strengths the more we identify with them. Before we know it, our whole identity is defined by what we were good at as teenagers. This fuels confidence, success and gains us respect from others- but we are not whole, because parts of us are not welcome in this identity.

If the term shame feels harsh, or just doesn’t resonate for you, just consider your insecurities and vulnerabilities- are you as comfortable expressing those parts of you as you are expressing your greatest strengths? If not, then parts of you are in hiding. This is the mark of shame, and it disrupts our ability to discern which parts of ourselves are worthy of assimilation into our sense of self and which parts are outdated, dissonant and ripe for transformation.

And this is exactly what’s happening physically when he have leaky gut syndrome.

Contrary to popular belief, the GI tract is not inside the body- it’s open to the outside world, and acts as a semipermeable boundary. Throughout the digestive process, we discern what nutrients are worthy of assimilation into the body and what we want to eliminate or dispose of as waste. When the wound of shame is unresolved, our ability to discern what is worthy of assimilation is dysfunctional. Rather than being guided by the voice of love, we are led by a harsh critic that has outdated ideas about who we really are. Given the digestive system’s role in the body, it’s not surprising that shame takes a toll on gut health.