Understanding Your Body's Survival Solutions

You're Not Broken

Everyone responds to life's challenges differently, and if you're dealing with trauma, it's important to know that there's nothing wrong with you. Your body and mind created solutions for you to survive.

“Trauma” is the repetition of these survival patterns in situations that don’t threaten our survival, but we perceive, feel and react as though they do. The survival solutions—our trauma responses— were needed during childhood, or during a traumatic event or period to survive but those solutions and habitual responses may now, ironically, be causing the problems in your life.

Trauma Lives in the body as patterned responses

These survival solutions fall into two main types, “Revved up” or “Slowed / Shut Down”. Post-trauma or post-childhood trauma, you can alternate between them, depending on the day and the circumstances.

The responses can be severe when triggered by situations that evoke memories of the traumatic experience, or they can be a less obvious, general way of functioning in your life:

The "Revved Up" Survival Solution

  • In FIGHT OR FLIGHT

  • Feeling anxious or worried a lot

  • Getting startled easily or feeling jumpy

  • Feeling irritable, angry or even rageful

  • Looping on endless worries or problems

  • Over-working, performing, pleasing, placating

  • Controlling, perfecting, criticizing

The “Shut Down” Survival Solution

  • In FREEZE or Immobilized FAUN

  • Feeling heavy or frozen

  • Feeling hopeless or helpless

  • Feeling stuck in a shame spiral

  • Isolating, hunkering down at home

  • Procrastinating, avoiding

  • Checking out, dissociating, numb

Remember, these responses are patterns your body learned to protect you. The only thing worth fixing is a survival response that isn't working for you now. With my help, you can start learning new ways to handle stress and trauma responses that work better for your current life circumstances.

What causes PTSD or Complex Trauma?

When people talk about “trauma”, they're often referring to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But what causes these stress reactions?

Traumatic stress can develop in two main ways:

Single Event Trauma
 This can happen after a short-term or one-time intense experience, such as:

  •    A natural disaster

  • Abuse or assault

  •    A serious physical accident

  •    A medical emergency or surgery

Complex or Developmental Trauma
 This develops from long-term exposure to traumatic situations, usually over the course of childhood, such as:

  •   Childhood neglect that is prolonged and pervasive

  •   Ongoing childhood physical or psychological abuse

  •   Growing up in a violent or chaotic social environment (outside of the home) such as war or violence

Both types can lead to PTSD, but complex trauma might result in more complicated symptoms due to its long-lasting nature.

It's important to remember that everyone responds differently to stressful events. What's traumatic for one person might not be for another. Your reactions are valid, whatever your experience.

How does trauma affect people?

Single Event Trauma can cause:

  • Flashbacks or nightmares about the event

  • Avoiding situations that remind you of the trauma

  • Feeling on edge or easily startled

  • Difficulty sleeping or concentrating

  • Mood swings or irritability

  • changes in how you view yourself or the world

Complex Trauma causes all of the above, plus:

  • Challenges with trust and relationships

  • Difficulty regulating emotions

  • Low self-esteem or negative self-image

  • Feeling disconnected from oneself (dissociation)

  • Struggles with identity or sense of self

  • Both PTSD and Complex Trauma can lead to:

  • Changes in how the brain processes stress

  • Physical health issues like chronic pain or fatigue

  • Increased risk of mental health conditions like depression or anxiety

  • Difficulties in work or school performance

  • Substance use as a coping mechanism

It's crucial to understand that these effects are normal responses to traumatic situations. With proper support and treatment, you can learn new ways of being in your body and new ways of responding to stress, which will lead to living a more fulfilling life.

How trauma impacts people

Neurobiological Effects:

  • Trauma can alter brain structure and function, particularly in areas related to stress response and emotion regulation.

  • The amygdala (fear center) may become overactive, while the prefrontal cortex (rational thinking area) can be underactive.

  • This can lead to a constant state of hypervigilance or feeling unsafe even in non-threatening situations.

Emotional and Psychological Impacts:

  • Emotional dysregulation: Difficulty managing intense emotions or feeling emotionally numb.

  • Intrusive thoughts: Unwanted memories or thoughts about the traumatic event(s).

  • Negative self-perception: Feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness.

  • Difficulty with trust: Challenges in forming or maintaining close relationships.

Behavioral Changes:

  • Avoidance behaviors: Steering clear of people, places, or situations that remind one of the trauma.

  • Risk-taking behaviors: Engaging in dangerous activities as a form of escape or to feel "alive."

  • Changes in sleep patterns: Insomnia or oversleeping as the body struggles to regulate.

Physical Health Consequences:

  • Chronic pain: Trauma can manifest as physical discomfort in the body.

  • Autoimmune disorders: Increased risk due to prolonged stress on the immune system.

  • Cardiovascular issues: Higher risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Social and Relational Effects:

  • Difficulty in maintaining employment or education due to concentration issues or interpersonal challenges.

  • Struggles with intimacy and vulnerability in relationships.

  • Social isolation or difficulty connecting with others.

Long-term Adaptations:

  • Development of coping mechanisms that may have been protective during trauma but are now maladaptive.

  • Changes in worldview or belief systems about safety, trust, and control.

It's important to note that while these effects can be profound, they're not permanent. With appropriate support and treatment, individuals can develop resilience, learn new coping strategies, and experience post-traumatic growth.

Not only can you experience post-traumatic growth, many people describe trauma healing as an awakening of the soul, a spiritual journey that is profound and revelatory.


Human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma.

I believe not only that trauma is curable, but that the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening—a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation.

~Peter Levine, Founder Somatic Experiencing