Why does psychological trauma register in my body?

Trauma fundamentally affects how the brain processes experiences, particularly emotions and memories.Trauma is not just a psychological experience but a somatic one, deeply impacting both mind and body.

Trauma registers physically in the body due to:

1. The Body's Response to Stress: Trauma activates the body’s fight-or-flight system, flooding the body with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, if the trauma remains unresolved, the body can get stuck in a hyper-aroused state. This heightened state of alertness makes it difficult for the body to return to a calm, balanced state.

2. The Role of the Brain:

   • Dysregulated Amygdala: The amygdala, which detects threats, becomes overactive in trauma survivors, leading to exaggerated fear responses.

   • Hippocampal Suppression: Trauma impairs the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for distinguishing between past and present. This impairment can cause traumatic memories to feel as though they are happening in the present moment, triggering physical responses.

   • Prefrontal Cortex Shutdown: The prefrontal cortex, which is involved in rational thought and self-regulation, can become underactive during traumatic experiences, making it difficult to control emotional reactions and leading to feelings of being overwhelmed or disconnected from reality.

3. Stored Trauma in the Body: The body itself "remembers" trauma. This is why survivors may experience physical sensations such as tension, pain, or tightness in response to trauma-related stimuli, even if they aren’t consciously thinking about the traumatic event. The body stores unresolved trauma in muscle memory and somatic patterns, which can manifest as chronic pain, fatigue, or other physical symptoms.

4. Disconnection from the Body: Trauma often causes people to disconnect from their bodies, as a defense mechanism against overwhelming sensations and emotions. This can lead to a sense of alienation from one's physical self and can hinder the body's ability to process and release the trauma.

Trauma isn't just an emotional or cognitive issue, but a full-body experience. The body keeps the score of past traumas through physical sensations, chronic stress, and disrupted biological systems, creating a profound link between psychological trauma and physical health. Healing, therefore, involves reconnecting with the body and addressing trauma on both psychological and somatic levels.

Further reading: The Body Keeps the Score from Bessel van der Kolk