Episode 9: The Body Under Siege — Covert Narcissistic Abuse and Health Implications

In this episode of Unseen but Not Untold, Dr. Zacharia, integrative covert narcissistic abuse recovery expert and board-certified endocrinologist, takes you deep into the body’s lived experience of covert narcissistic abuse. She reveals why the trauma you endured didn’t just affect your mind and psyche but became imprinted physically in your body as well.This episode explores how covert narcissistic abuse keeps the body locked in survival mode, driving sustained elevations of stress hormones. Dr. Zacharia reviews the physiology behind somatic symptoms, chronic hypervigilance and increased vulnerability to autoimmune disease.She bridges western medicine with eastern philosophy, introducing the chakra framework as a lens for understanding where suppressed emotions and unspoken truth lodge themselves physically in the body.A major focus of this episode is the throat chakra - the energy center tied to voice, truth, boundaries and self-expression. Dr. Zacharia shares her personal journey of developing Graves disease in response to covert narcissistic abuse and explains how reclaiming her voice became central to her healing process.This episode is one of a two-part mini-series within Unseen but Not Untold, with continued discussion of impacted chakras next week.