How Traumatic Events Live in Us

There are moments in life — that stop time — a car accident, a loss of someone deeply loved, or a violation of safety or trust. For some those become traumatic moments. They do not all look the same, nor is the body's response. Within seconds the body records and stores that felt sense. It does not forget.

But what happens after the moment passes?

That felt reaction can be unconsciously locked away, and it may not surface for months, years, or even at all. Then something happens... a sight, a sound, a smell, a taste, or a touch... and the body recalls that traumatic moment all at once. When this happens, the connection to the trauma is not conscious. The body begns responding to something the mind has yet to recognize. There may be no language for it only an awareness that something is not okay. That disconnect can be one of the most confusing parts of carrying unprocessed trauma. What is actually happening is that the body is still responding to something it has not been able to release.

Does any of this feel familiar? Your body has been holding onto something real.

If you're struggling with the trauma your body's been holding, know you are not alone, and there is support for you.

What was once held can be released.