If you are healing from trauma, there may be times where you find yourself feeling stressed, or "out of control"--sometimes over situations that seem silly or trivial to others.
The trigger may be predictable, meaning there is a pattern to it. For example, being in large crowd may routinely bring up feelings of high anxiety. Or the trigger may come from something new, or unexpected. Whatever the source, your body's response is the same--anxiety, tension, even panic.
The threat feels real, so your body throws you into fight-or-flight mode. The reaction is completely involuntary, which adds to the fear. We often ask ourselves, "Why am I reacting this way? This is not a big deal!" But it can be difficult to reason our way out...especially in the beginning of our healing process.
Recognizing that you are having a physiological response to past trauma--that that trauma imprinted itself on your body--is the first step in showing yourself compassion for what your experiencing. It is also the beginning of unwinding that trauma-based response, and reprogramming your body to know that it is safe now. For more on this topic, see our May 11, 2024 podcast.
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