Continuing the story of Carla’s uncontrolled vomiting, at that time I had much to learn about stress illness.  Weeks were needed to see how the pieces fit together because, as is usually the case, Carla herself did not comprehend and could not explain what was happening.  The first clue was that her illness began when she was a teenage unwed mother who gave up her son for adoption.  Second, when Carla was a child, her mother lived just 20 miles away but completely ignored her, causing Carla to feel unworthy and to assume guilt for many life events.  Third, she had a strong belief in a God that played a direct, active role in her daily life.

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