Sometimes an experience ends before your body feels like it has ended.
You may know logically that you are safe now, but a sound, smell, tone of voice, location or sudden movement can still make your body react.
Your heart races.
Your muscles tighten.
You freeze.
You want to leave.
You become unusually alert.
And part of you may be frustrated because you know the present moment is different.
What may be happening
After frightening or overwhelming experiences, the nervous system can remain sensitive to reminders of danger.
Your body may react quickly before your thinking mind has fully worked out what is happening.
That reaction is not a character flaw.
It is information.
Something you can try today
Orient yourself to the present.
Look around and name where you are.
Notice the date.
Feel the chair beneath you.
Identify three things in the room that tell you this is now, not then.
You might quietly say:
“I am here.”
“This is today.”
“That moment is not happening right now.”
Do not force yourself to relive details in order to prove that you are coping.
When you may need more support
If trauma-related reactions are frequent, severe, causing major distress, affecting relationships or daily functioning, or making you feel unsafe in your own body, trauma-informed professional support may be helpful.
Related TDC resources
Breathe With Me
Start Where You Are
I’m Overwhelmed
TDC Hope Bank
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