About this Event
THE TALK: Your Symptoms Have a Story: How Childhood Trauma Can Affect Adult Health
Why do some people endure years of chronic pain, fatigue, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, or other persistent symptoms without a satisfying explanation or resolution? For some, childhood maltreatment or other serious early-life experiences may be an important part of the story. Most available diagnostic labels are symptom-oriented and do not identify a cause. Research shows that childhood trauma can be associated with measurable physiological and anatomical differences in the developing brain, altered stress responses, inflammation, and a wide range of lasting physical and mental health problems.
In this presentation, neurologist and clinical researcher Jay J. Rubin, M.D., draws on more than three decades of patient care, research, and medical education to explore connections among childhood experiences, resilience, and adult health. He will discuss why trauma may remain undisclosed or unrecognized for decades and why many people with significant posttraumatic symptoms do not fit neatly into existing diagnostic categories. Dr. Rubin will also explain why persistent symptoms and associated diseases require both careful medical evaluation and exploration of potentially relevant early-life trauma. He introduces Early Trauma Stress Disorder (ETSD) as a proposed broader framework for understanding adult symptoms of childhood trauma.
Most importantly, the presentation explores what is available to all of us: providing empathy and validation, asking, and listening. Dr. Rubin teaches that empathy and validation stem from understanding the meaning of symptoms, not from medical attention alone. Learning the story behind symptoms can help patients, families, and healthcare professionals move from frustration and uncertainty toward understanding, collaboration, and hope: It is never too late to be heard and understood.
Jay J. Rubin, M.D., is a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist, clinical researcher, medical educator, and author. He is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and has served as an investigator in more than 100 clinical research studies. After four years focused primarily on clinical research and authorship, Dr. Rubin recently joined Cook Medical Associates, LLC, in Ocala and resumed clinical practice exclusively in sleep medicine. Drawing on more than three decades of patient care, research, and teaching, he has written two forthcoming 2027 books: Adult Symptoms of Childhood Trauma: Pathways to Healing (Toplight Books) and Symptoms of Childhood Trauma in Adults: A Treatment Guide for All Medical Professionals (McFarland & Company, Inc.). His work highlights the potential long-term effects of childhood trauma and underscores the importance of empathy, validation, careful medical evaluation, and truly listening to each person’s story.
Event venue & nearby stays
15 SE Osceola Ave, 15 Southeast Osceola Avenue, Ocala, United States
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