Why Can’t I Just Get Over It — Even Though It Happened Years Ago?
When you are triggered, you are responding to reminders of past trauma, not the present situation. If butterflies are a trigger, for example, they will not cease to being a…
Why Do I Shut Down After a Trigger?
If you shut down after a trigger, it’s because, growing up, your nervous system learned that the safest response to triggers was to shut down rather than escaping, fighting back,…
Why Don’t I Feel Safe Even When I Know I Am?
You may not feel safe even when you are because the thinking parts of the brain and the threat-detection parts of the brain do not always agree. The sense that…
Why Social Acceptance Feels Like Survival
Why Social Acceptance Feels Like Survival (and Why Rejection Feels So Intense) This isn’t just emotional: It’s a safety system The human nervous system is wired for social connection (relationships).…
Contents of Why Do Trauma Responses Show Up Even When You Know You’re Safe?
Why Do Trauma Responses Show Up Even When You Know You’re Safe? Why your body and nervous system keep reacting as if you’re in danger even when you know you’re…
What Is Trauma Time in DID?
Trauma time refers to the experience of the past feeling as if it is happening in the present. In dissociative systems, some parts may remain focused around the time when…
Why Do I Get Anxious When I Try to Relax?
Trying to relax can sometimes increase anxiety if your nervous system is used to staying on guard. In unsafe or unpredictable environments, staying alert may have been necessary. Relaxing can…
Why Does Calm Sometimes Feel Unsafe After Trauma?
Calm can feel unsafe after trauma because your nervous system may not be used to it. If you spent long periods in environments that were unpredictable or threatening, your system…
Why Do I Get Sleepy After a Trigger?
Some people become sleepy after a trigger because the nervous system becomes overwhelmed. One response to overwhelm is hypoarousal, in which the system begins to shut down. Numbness is one…
Why Do Some Parts Experience the Past as If It’s Still Happening?
Some parts may experience the past as if it is still happening because they are developed around the time when those experiences occurred and they may not have full access…