When Tests Are Normal But You’re Still in Pain

Welcome back to The Secrets of Being! On this episode, I’m joined by Dr. David Clarke—a physician whose groundbreaking work bridges the gap between emotional trauma and physical illness.Dr. Clarke opens up about his own awakening in medicine. After seven years of formal medical training, he still wasn’t equipped to understand what was truly causing some of his patients’ suffering—until one case changed everything. When a woman came to him with severe gastrointestinal issues that no medication could cure, he eventually learned that her symptoms were linked to childhood sexual abuse. With the help of a psychiatrist, she recovered in just three months—without any additional procedures or prescriptions. That experience transformed how Dr. Clarke practiced medicine forever.He shares how stress, trauma, and repressed emotions can create physical symptoms that mimic disease—a concept known as neuroplastic pain. From back pain to stomach issues, Dr. Clarke reveals how the mind unloads unresolved pain into the body when it’s not processed consciously. He teaches patients to recognize emotional triggers, write unsent letters to those who’ve hurt them, and bring awareness to hidden stressors from both the past and present.We also talk about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how childhood trauma can silently shape the body’s responses decades later. Dr. Clarke compares it to lava simmering beneath the surface—always there, waiting to erupt unless it’s addressed with compassion and care.What’s most profound about his approach is how simple it is: listening, talking, and validating patients’ emotional experiences can lead to physical healing. Less than one percent of doctors incorporate this mind-body model into their practice, but Dr. Clarke’s work is paving the way for a future where emotional and physical health are treated as one.This episode is for anyone who’s ever been told “the tests are normal” but still feels unwell. It’s a reminder that healing begins when we give our pain permission to speak.With love,DawnP.S. You can connect with Dr. Clarke here: https://www.symptomatic.me/