From Stomach Aches to SVT Heart Symptoms: How Unexpressed Emotions Move Through the Body Over Time

As a child, I struggled with constant digestive issues—stomach aches, nausea for “no reason,” swings between constipation and loose stools, and occasional cramps that left me curled up on the couch and afraid. At the time, no one connected these symptoms to stress or emotions. They were chalked up to being “sensitive,” having a “nervous stomach,” or being prone to digestive trouble. The advice we received from doctors (and the one time I was rushed to the ER) was to avoid “greasy foods”.

But now, with decades of personal experience, coaching, and integrative study behind me, I understand something important:

My childhood stomach aches were not random or solely related to certain foods I ate, but rather they were unexpressed emotions—stored, held, and unprocessed—manifesting physically….Just like SVT.

And I believe many children experience the same thing. As such, one of the things I do in my Heal SVT Naturally Approach Protocol (coming soon in 2026) , is share the benefits of taking your own Health inventory which includes childhood illness and symptoms. Doing so allows us to see how life events, emotions, and experiences correspond with the development or worsening of SVT. This is great exercise to explore SVT from a more whole-body perspective and connect its origins.

Why Children Feel Emotions in Their Stomachs

Children don’t yet have the emotional vocabulary, coping tools, or sense of safety needed to express stress, fear, frustration, or sadness. So their bodies speak for them.

There is strong evidence for this:

1. The Gut–Brain Axis

The gut and the brain communicate constantly through the vagus nerve. When a child feels fear, anxiety, or overwhelm, the digestive system reacts instantly.

This can show up as:

- - stomach aches
  - nausea
  - constipation or loose stools
  - appetite changes
  - abdominal tension

Pediatric research confirms that many “mystery stomach aches” are stress-related.

2. Somatic Stress Patterns

Children process emotions physically because their verbal and emotional regulation systems are still developing. They literally feel their feelings in their bodies—especially in the gut.

3. Highly Sensitive Children Feel More

Children who are intuitive, empathetic, or energetically sensitive often somatize emotions more deeply. Their bodies absorb what they cannot yet express.

What Happens When We Grow Up? The Shift From Gut to Heart

This is the part I’m most passionate about sharing:

As adults, many of us no longer get stomach aches from stress… instead, the emotional load shifts upward—to the heart.

For some, this looks like:

- palpitations
- a racing heart
- chest tightness
- shortness of breath
- heightened nervous-system reactivity
- or conditions like SVT that appear alongside emotional triggers

I don’t believe this transition is random.

When emotions go unexpressed for years:

- - the nervous system becomes hyper-reactive
  - the vagus nerve becomes sensitive
  - the heart becomes the next place the body communicates distress or emotional overload

In this way, SVT can and should NOT be viewed just as an electrical event, but as a messenger.
A signal. A Symptom. A call inward.

Just as childhood stomach aches were your body asking you to pay attention, your adult heart symptoms of SVT may be doing the same—only louder, now that the stakes feel greater and the responsibilities heavier.

SVT as the Adult Version of Childhood Emotional Overwhelm

While SVT has a structural component (like an accessory pathway), the timing of episodes often correlates with:

- - emotional stress
  - inner conflict
  - self-abandonment
  - unspoken truth
  - grief
  - or pushing yourself beyond your limits

From a holistic perspective, I see a pattern:

Childhood emotions → stored in the gut
Adult emotions → surface through the heart

This doesn’t mean emotions cause SVT.
It means the nervous system acts as the bridge between emotional stress and physical expression.

And for many highly sensitive people, that bridge leads straight to the heart.

Why This Matters for Healing

When you view SVT through an emotional and intuitive lens, everything begins to change.

Instead of fearing episodes, you start asking:

- - What is my heart trying to tell me?
  - Where am I holding stress?
  - What emotions have I swallowed instead of expressing?
  - Where am I out of alignment with my truth?
  - What did my inner child learn about safety, expression, or conflict?

This mindset and way of viewing SVT is about empowerment.

Because when SVT becomes our messenger rather than our enemy, you gain the ability to respond with tools like:

- - emotional processing
  - journaling
  - nervous-system support
  - self-care
  - boundaries
  - intuition
  - nourishment
  - hydration
  - magnesium, B vitamins, homeopathy to calm the Nervous system
  - and spiritual alignment

Your heart symptoms become a pathway to deeper clarity and overall healing. And maybe even the pathway to your inner child which is trapped, without the tools we all have available today, waiting for us to support them, as only WE can.

A New Way to Understand Your Body’s Messages

Here’s my integrative belief:

Children feel unexpressed emotions in their stomachs.
Adults feel unexpressed emotions in their hearts.
SVT is the heart’s way of saying:
“Something needs your attention.”

This perspective doesn’t replace medical care—
it adds a layer of meaning and connection that supports true healing.

Your body has always spoken to you.
First through your gut…
now through your heart.

The invitation is simply to listen and use empowering self-healing tools to support your journey.

Here are some of my tools to help:

Try Journaling…

Journaling is a FREE, efficient and powerful way to start connecting thoughts and emotions to your SVT. Connecting with your intuition is an essential part of the process.