A pediatric nurse practitioner is evaluating an 11-year-old child with a history of multiple hospitalizations for asthma, learning difficulties, and frequent abdominal pain without a clear medical cause. During the health history, the caregiver reveals that the child has experienced repeated exposure to domestic violence and parental substance use since early childhood. The nurse recognizes the importance of screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Which explanation best reflects the mechanism, as described by Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, linking the child's early life trauma to their current physical symptoms?