How Trauma Can Show Up in the Body
Author: Angela Holmes-Cruz, LMHC
When people think about trauma, they often imagine memories, emotions, or thoughts. What many people don’t realize is that trauma also lives in the body.
You might not always connect physical symptoms to past experiences, especially if you don’t think of what you went through as “trauma.” But the nervous system keeps its own record of what felt overwhelming, unsafe, or unresolved.
Why Trauma Affects the Body
Trauma is not just about what happened. It is about how your nervous system responded at the time.
When an experience feels too much to process, the body may stay in a state of heightened alert or shutdown long after the event has passed. Even when you logically know you are safe now, your body may still react as if the threat is present.
This is not a failure or weakness. It is a protective response that once helped you cope.
Common Ways Trauma Shows Up Physically
Trauma can look different in every body, but some common physical experiences include:
Chronic tension in the neck, shoulders, or jaw
Shallow breathing or feeling unable to take a full breath
Digestive issues or nausea without a clear medical cause
Headaches or migraines
Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
Feeling numb, disconnected, or “out of your body”
A constant sense of restlessness or being on edge
These symptoms are real, even when medical tests come back normal.
The Nervous System and Survival Responses
The body responds to stress through survival states such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. When trauma is unresolved, the nervous system may stay stuck in one of these states.
For example:
You might feel constantly tense or hypervigilant
You may shut down emotionally or feel detached
Your body may react strongly to situations that don’t seem threatening
I’ve noticed, people are often surprised to realize how long their body has been carrying patterns that made sense at one point but are no longer serving them.
When the Body Reacts Before the Mind
One of the confusing parts of trauma is that the body often reacts faster than the thought.
You might notice:
Your heart racing without knowing why
A sudden urge to escape a situation
Tightness or nausea that seems to come out of nowhere
These reactions are not random. They are the nervous system responding based on past learning, not present danger.
How Therapy Can Help With Body-Based Trauma Responses
Trauma-informed therapy focuses on helping the nervous system regain a sense of safety and regulation.
Approaches such as EMDR, somatic-based work, and nervous system regulation strategies help the body process what it has been holding onto. The goal is not to force the body to calm down, but to help it learn that it no longer has to stay in survival mode.
Over time, many people notice:
Less physical tension
Improved sleep
Fewer stress-related symptoms
A greater sense of ease in their body
You Don’t Have to Have “Big Trauma” for This to Be Real
Many people minimize their experiences because they believe trauma has to look a certain way. But the body responds to what felt overwhelming, not to a checklist of events.
If your body feels like it is always bracing, shutting down, or reacting strongly, that information matters.
Final Thoughts
Trauma does not only live in memory. It lives in patterns of tension, breathing, posture, and response.
Healing often begins not by asking, “What’s wrong with me?” but by asking, “What did my body learn, and does it still need to hold onto this?”
If you are exploring EMDR therapy in Sarasota, FL, or trauma-informed therapy online anywhere in Florida, support can help your nervous system feel safer and more regulated over time.