How Trauma Lives in the Body (And What to Do About It)
Trauma does not just live in your mind; it lives in your body.
You might think you have “moved on,” but your body can tell a different story. Maybe your chest tightens during conflict or your stomach drops when your phone rings. Sometimes it is not one major event but years of pushing through stress or loss without space to rest or recover.
Whether it was an accident, neglect, or heartbreak, your nervous system remembers. Even when your thoughts say “I am fine,” your body can still be holding tension or fear. That is why anxiety, fatigue, or pain often shows up long after the event.
Let’s explore how trauma stays in the body, how it shapes your mental health, and how body-based healing can help you feel safe again.
Understanding How Trauma Works in the Body
When something overwhelming happens, your body reacts before you can think. Your heart races, your breathing speeds up, and your muscles tense. This automatic response is your body’s way of protecting you.
Normally, after the danger passes, your system resets. Your body exhales, your pulse slows, and your muscles release. But when you cannot escape or fight back, your body can stay stuck in survival mode.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, explains that trauma leaves a physical imprint. It does not live only as memory but as tension, fatigue, and dysregulation in the body. Henry Ford Health’s article “How Your Body Holds On to Trauma” supports this, noting that trauma activates the brain’s amygdala and floods the body with stress hormones, keeping it locked in fight-or-flight mode. Psychiatrist Dr. Lisa MacLean reports that more than 60% of American adults have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), and 16% have four or more, greatly increasing their risk of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. This evidence underscores how trauma-informed, body-based therapy helps the nervous system relearn safety, balance, and calm after long-term stress.
Your body continues to act as if the threat is still happening. It is not stubborn; it is protective. It is still trying to keep you safe.
How the Body Stores Traumatic Experiences
Peter Levine, founder of Somatic Experiencing, describes trauma as “incomplete survival responses trapped in the body.” Think of a time when you almost got into a car accident. Your heart raced, your body tensed, and then it was over. You could not scream or run, and your body never finished its response. That energy does not just vanish. It gets stored.
Even when you cannot recall the trauma consciously, especially in early childhood, your body remembers. This is why certain sounds, smells, or situations can suddenly trigger panic, sadness, or anger. The body reacts first, long before the brain understands what is happening.
This is often called “cellular memory.” It is not mystical; it is physiological. The body holds the record of how you survived. Trauma is not something that happened to you long ago; it is something that can still live in your nervous system right now.
Signs Trauma May Still Live in Your Body
Not everyone with trauma has flashbacks or nightmares. Often, it shows up quietly in the background of daily life. You might notice:
Chronic muscle tightness or jaw clenching
Trouble falling asleep or relaxing
Persistent fatigue or unexplained pain
Emotional numbness or disconnection
Sudden waves of anxiety, anger, or sadness
Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe
Feeling detached, as if you are watching yourself from the outside
When you have lived with these sensations for a long time, they start to feel normal. You may even think, “This is just how I am.” But these are not personality traits; they are your body’s protection strategies. Dissociation, for example, is not a weakness. It is the body’s way of saying, “This is too much. Let me turn down the volume for a while.”
The Link Between Trauma and Mental Health
Unprocessed trauma changes how your brain and body handle stress. It can lead to:
PTSD: flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance
Complex PTSD: emotional instability and trust difficulties after long-term trauma
Dissociative disorders: feeling detached from yourself or your surroundings
Anxiety and depression: exhaustion from constant overactivation
When your nervous system is always scanning for danger, everyday life can start to feel unsafe. Trauma-informed therapy helps you relearn what calm feels like. It is not just about controlling thoughts; it is about retraining your body to feel grounded again.
How Trauma Affects the Nervous System
Your nervous system balances between two states: the sympathetic system, which handles fight or flight, and the parasympathetic system, which helps you rest and recover.
After trauma, this balance can break down. You might feel constantly “on,” easily startled, or emotionally drained. Some people stay hyperalert; others shut down and feel disconnected. Many experience both, cycling between restlessness and fatigue.
This dysregulation cannot be fixed through logic alone. You cannot simply “think” your body into calm. Healing happens when your body learns, slowly and safely, that it is no longer in danger.
What Is Trauma-Informed Somatic Healing?
“Somatic” means “of the body.” Somatic healing reconnects your physical sensations and emotions, helping your body release what it has been holding.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, somatic approaches focus on the present moment. You are not asked to relive the past. Instead, you might notice sensations like tightness, warmth, and trembling, and stay curious about what your body is saying.
Through breathwork, grounding, and gentle movement, you begin to restore communication between mind and body. The goal is not to force change but to create enough safety for your body to let go naturally.
Your body does not need to be fixed. It needs to feel heard.
Body-Based Therapies That Support Healing
Talk therapy is powerful, but when trauma lives in the body, physical approaches often help it release.
Here are a few evidence-based options:
Somatic Experiencing: helps discharge trapped survival energy through awareness of body sensations
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): allows the brain to reprocess trauma safely
Yoga and mindfulness: teach your body to recognize calm and release tension
Breathwork: activates the body’s rest response and helps regulate the nervous system
Trauma-informed massage or movement therapy: rebuilds safety with physical touch
Each method supports the same goal: helping your body remember what safety feels like.
Safety and Connection: The Core of Healing
The first step in healing is not exposure to pain; it is safety. Without safety, the nervous system cannot relax or trust.
Safety is both internal and external. It begins with feeling grounded in your own body and supported by someone who understands. In therapy, safety might look like slowing down, noticing sensations, and being met with calm curiosity instead of urgency.
Connection is equally essential. When you feel truly seen and believed, your body starts to settle. That sense of being understood helps the nervous system shift from protection to repair.
Healing happens in a relationship with your therapist, loved ones, and most importantly, yourself.
Healing Is Possible
Even if trauma has shaped your life for years, healing is possible. Your body already knows how to recover; it just needs guidance and time. Through somatic therapy, trauma-informed care, and compassionate support, you can help your body release what it has been holding onto.
At Integrative Healthcare Alliance, we see your symptoms as information, not identity. We look at how your body, mind, and biology all interact, and we help you find the tools that make your system feel safe again.
You deserve care that goes beyond a quick fix, care that helps you reconnect with your body and reclaim peace from the inside out.
FAQ’s
How do I start healing from trauma?
Work with a trauma-informed therapist who uses somatic or EMDR techniques. Start by focusing on safety and building awareness of your body’s signals.
How does trauma live in the body?
When your body cannot complete its stress response, that survival energy stays trapped in your nervous system and muscles, creating physical and emotional symptoms.
How can I release trauma from my body?
Gentle movement, grounding, breathwork, and somatic therapy help your body discharge stored energy and return to balance.
Can trauma symptoms go away completely?
While memories may remain, the distress and body reactions can fade. Many people live calm and connected lives after trauma work.
How do I know if my body is storing trauma?
Signs include chronic tension, anxiety, exhaustion, or feeling disconnected from your body. These patterns often signal unresolved stress in the nervous system.
