Relationship coach and content creator Siobhan J. Middleton has opened up about the physical and emotional toll her marriage allegedly had on her health, revealing that she was diagnosed with PTSD in 2021 as a result of the relationship.
In a deeply personal Instagram video, Middleton reflected on how years of migraines and stomach problems disappeared after her divorce, leading many women online to share similar experiences about the connection between emotional distress and physical health.
“Sometimes your body knows before your mind is ready to admit it,” Middleton wrote in the caption accompanying the video.
The empowerment coach, who is known for helping women “unlearn good girl conditioning and embody grown-ass woman energy,” said she has heard countless women admit they knew deep down they should not have married their partners before walking down the aisle.
“I have heard so many women say that they knew before they walked down the aisle that they should have never married the person that they married,” Middleton said.
She then revealed her own health struggles during the marriage, explaining that she suffered severe migraines from the age of 19 into her early 40s, along with ongoing stomach issues.
“Fast forward to today, I’m coming up on three years divorced and I have not had a migraine,” she shared. “I definitely don’t have stomach issues anymore.”
Middleton’s most poignant revelation came when she disclosed that she had been medically diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder tied to her marriage.
“In 2021, I was actually diagnosed with PTSD from my marriage,” she said.
Her comments quickly resonated across social media, with many women discussing how chronic stress, emotional suppression, unhealthy relationships, and survival mode can manifest physically in the body.
“Our bodies know. I thought I had a chronic illness; turns out I just needed a divorce,” one person commented.
Mental health experts have increasingly acknowledged links between chronic emotional stress and physical symptoms such as migraines, digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Conversations surrounding trauma-informed health care — particularly for women — have also become more prominent in recent years.
Middleton said her experience has made her reflect on how differently life may have unfolded had she chosen another path earlier.
“There are health-related issues that come from their marriage,” she said. “And I wonder if we would have chose a different path, how that experience would have been.”
The video has since sparked emotional discussions among divorced women and survivors of unhealthy relationships, many of whom say Middleton’s story reflects experiences they rarely see openly discussed in public.
For some viewers, the post highlighted the importance of paying attention to emotional and physical warning signs in relationships before they escalate into long-term mental and physical health consequences.
