How Trauma Lives in the Body
Trauma is not just something that happens to us emotionally—it’s something that happens to us physically as well. While many people associate trauma with distressing thoughts or painful memories, trauma also leaves a lasting imprint on the body. If you've ever felt tense, numb, jumpy, or inexplicably exhausted without understanding why, your body might be holding onto trauma. At our private therapy practice, we help individuals understand the deep connection between trauma and the body to promote healing that is both emotional and physical.
Understanding Trauma Beyond the Mind
Trauma occurs when our nervous system is overwhelmed by an event or series of events that we are unable to fully process at the time. This could be a single incident, such as an accident or assault, or it could be chronic exposure to stress, such as childhood neglect, domestic violence, systemic oppression, or living through a pandemic.
When trauma happens, the brain doesn’t always process the experience as a past event. Instead, it can become “stuck,” and the body may continue to react as if the danger is still present. This is one reason why people with trauma histories often report that certain situations or triggers cause them to feel unsafe, even when they are physically secure.
The Role of the Nervous System
At the center of the body’s trauma response is the autonomic nervous system, which includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. These systems control our fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses:
Fight or Flight: When we sense danger, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in. Heart rate increases, muscles tense, breathing quickens, and we become hyper-alert. This is the body preparing to escape or confront a threat.
Freeze or Collapse: When the threat is too overwhelming or escape isn't possible, the parasympathetic nervous system may trigger a freeze response—numbness, dissociation, or immobility. This is the body’s last-ditch effort to survive by “playing dead.”
Fawn: A lesser-known response, fawning involves people-pleasing or caretaking behaviors as a survival mechanism, especially common in complex trauma and developmental trauma.
If these responses are not resolved after the traumatic event, they can become ingrained. The nervous system remains on high alert or shuts down entirely, resulting in physical symptoms that persist long after the trauma.
The Body Keeps the Score
As renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk famously states in his book The Body Keeps the Score, traumatic experiences can be stored in the body and expressed in many ways, including:
Muscle tension or chronic pain: Trauma often leads to prolonged muscle contraction, particularly in areas like the neck, shoulders, jaw, or back.
Digestive issues: The gut and brain are closely connected via the vagus nerve. Trauma can disrupt digestion and lead to symptoms like nausea, constipation, IBS, or appetite changes.
Headaches or migraines: Emotional stress and unresolved trauma can manifest physically in the form of recurring headaches.
Sleep disturbances: Hypervigilance and anxiety often interfere with the body’s ability to relax, resulting in insomnia, nightmares, or restless sleep.
Autoimmune disorders and inflammation: Ongoing stress responses can weaken the immune system and contribute to systemic inflammation.
Numbness or disconnection: People often describe feeling like they are “not in their body,” dissociated, or emotionally flat. This is the body’s way of protecting itself when it feels overwhelmed.
These physical symptoms are not “all in your head.” They are very real expressions of how trauma can live on in the body long after the event itself is over.
Trauma and Memory
Traumatic memories differ from regular memories. While typical memories are processed and stored with a clear narrative and timeline, traumatic memories are often fragmented, stored as images, sounds, smells, or bodily sensations. Because of this, someone may react intensely to a smell or noise without consciously connecting it to a past trauma.
These “implicit memories” are stored in the brain’s limbic system and body, often outside of conscious awareness. This helps explain why people with trauma histories might feel suddenly flooded with emotion, anxiety, or fear—without knowing exactly why.
Healing the Body from Trauma
Healing from trauma is not just about talking—it also involves helping the body feel safe again. Here are some ways trauma-informed therapy helps the body heal:
1. Somatic Awareness
Therapies that incorporate body-based awareness help clients notice where trauma lives in their body. Techniques like body scanning, breathwork, or grounding exercises can increase this awareness and start to release held tension.
2. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR helps reprocess traumatic memories by stimulating both sides of the brain, often through eye movements or tapping. This can allow the nervous system to complete responses that were previously stuck and begin to integrate the memory more fully.
3. Mindfulness and Yoga
Mindfulness practices and trauma-informed yoga can help individuals reconnect with their bodies in safe, gentle ways. These practices foster a sense of presence, grounding, and control, which are often disrupted by trauma.
4. Polyvagal Theory and Regulation Techniques
Understanding the vagus nerve and how to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system can help restore balance. Techniques may include humming, singing, cold exposure, and social connection.
It’s Not Your Fault—And You’re Not Alone
One of the hardest parts of living with trauma is the sense of shame or confusion people often carry about their symptoms. You may feel like your reactions are “too much,” or wonder why you can’t “just get over it.” But trauma is not a weakness or personal failure—it’s a natural human response to overwhelming circumstances.
Healing is possible. It starts with understanding that your body did exactly what it needed to do to survive. Now, with the right support and tools, you can begin to reestablish safety, release stored trauma, and reclaim your relationship with your body.
Our Approach
At Silver Lining we offer trauma-informed therapy for individuals who want to explore the connection between their emotional experiences and physical symptoms. Whether you're dealing with PTSD, complex trauma, or chronic stress, our licensed therapists create a compassionate space to help you listen to your body, reconnect with yourself, and heal from the inside out.
Our clinicians draw from evidence-based approaches like EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy, internal family systems (IFS), and mindfulness practices to tailor treatment to your unique needs. Healing from trauma is not a one-size-fits-all process—but with patience, support, and consistent care, it is absolutely possible.
Final Thoughts
Trauma doesn’t just affect how we think and feel—it reshapes how we experience the world through our bodies. By learning how trauma lives in the body, we can begin to understand our symptoms not as signs of brokenness, but as messages from a nervous system that has been working overtime to protect us. When we listen to those messages with compassion, healing becomes not only possible—but profound.
If you're ready to begin your healing journey, we’re here to walk alongside you.
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