Duodenal Ulcer

It burns. Deep in the upper abdomen, often on an empty stomach, often at night, when silence comes and nothing distracts anymore. A boring, gnawing pain that feels as though your interior is dissolving itself. The duodenum — that short, unassuming stretch of intestine right behind the stomach — is raw. The mucous membrane that should have protected it has given way. The acid that is meant to break down food is eating into your own tissue.

Medically, a duodenal ulcer is an erosion of the intestinal lining, frequently caused by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori, and favoured by stress, medication, and lifestyle. From a psychosomatic perspective, a deeper question arises: What in your life is so corrosive that your body has begun to dissolve itself from within? What pressure has broken through your protective layer?