I recently read "When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress," a book by Gabor Maté, M.D., about how chronic stress, especially that of childhood trauma and emotional repression, is linked to the development of diseases and other conditions.
It helped me recognize emotional repression in myself and identify the early childhood situations that taught me that it wasn't safe to express certain emotions. I found it served as a catalyst for emotional work, as well as giving me a greater understanding of the body's physiological responses to trauma and chronic stress. Be prepared for this book to trigger you emotionally; I personally found that I had to put the book down at many points and allow myself to feel what my body was saying in response to the material.
Here is an excerpt:
"In this volume I set out to write about the effects of stress on health, particularly of the hidden stresses we all generate from our early programming, a pattern so deep and so subtle that it feels like a part of our real selves."
Here is a link with more info about the book:
http://drgabormate.com/book/when-the-body-says-no/
Here is a link to a preview of the first chapter:
http://drgabormate.com/preview/when-the-body-says-no-chapter-one/
Take care,
Trish