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While sitting in a therapist’s office and discussing your emotions, you begin to shake, twitch, and cry. You don’t know why. It’s just happening.
Or maybe you’re at a massage clinic, and the deep, smooth movements working the tension from your muscles cause you to cry uncontrollably. In both cases, you’re probably experiencing signs your body is releasing trauma.
A large percentage of the population has experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives. If left untreated, the wound can have devastating effects on mental health, physical health, and relationships.
However, when released and healed, the negative effects are disempowered, leading to a determined purpose, over-arching peace, and joy for living.
In this article, I will describe the signs your body is releasing and healing trauma, define trauma, demonstrate how and why the body stores it, and why it is important for healing. Then, I will share examples of signs your body is releasing trauma.
Finally, we’ll look at the possible ramifications of not releasing trauma and a few helpful links to help you get started toward healing and a better life.
What are the Signs Your Body is Releasing and Healing Trauma?
Signs your body is releasing and healing trauma are physical, psychological, and physiological changes in how the body and mind respond to traumatically triggered stimuli.
For instance, shaking and crying may be signs that you are processing, releasing, and healing past trauma. Or an improved change in how you respond to triggers, such as staying calm, is a sign of the same.
You cannot talk about bodily trauma without discussing psychological and emotional trauma.
They are undeniably intertwined. From holistic-healing chiropractors to emergency room doctors, they all understand the connection and won’t perform healing without considering the psychological and emotional impacts.
To fully understand signs your body is releasing trauma, you must first grasp exactly what defines trauma. Let’s take a look.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is the long-lasting physical or psychological harm caused by a life-threatening or life-changing event.
Once impacted, the deep-seated injury influences the victim’s responses or expectations with a bias to similar events, triggers, or modes of thinking.
The building blocks of trauma are the fear-based reaction that an emotional aspect is unresolved or that the event will re-occur.
Trauma affects at least 70% of people in the U.S. It is a dangerous and potentially fatal condition that often results in Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (“PTSD”), mental health issues, distorted perceptions, and suicidal ideations.
How and Why the Human Body Stores Trauma
The human body holds onto the trauma or the memory of the trauma, expecting it to occur again. It’s a survival mechanism to prepare for the next time.
It stores trauma in the form of negative effects that you can clearly feel and notice. Check out some of these signs.
Signs Your Body is Storing Trauma
Physical Symptoms
Psychological and Emotional Symptoms
Why the Body Needs to Release & Heal Trauma
Releasing and healing stored trauma from the body is important because it causes unhappiness, fear, difficulties in personal and work relationships, physical and mental issues, and a poor quality of life.
It can cause you to isolate or distance yourself from others, become socially withdrawn (different from being introverted), adopt a negative attitude, reject positive energies, and become self-deprecating.
Now that you get the picture of the signs that your body is releasing and healing trauma, the definition of it, how the body stores it, and why it is important to release and heal it, we’ll examine some examples of what those signs look and feel like. Check this out!
21 Signs Your Body is Releasing & Healing Trauma
Keep in mind these are only some of the signals that you’re releasing and healing trauma. The best way to know for sure is to meditate and focus on what is going on in your body and mind.
You’ll see the changes and feel the relief as you acknowledge that it is really happening. Peace and happiness are just ahead.
1. Improved Changes in Physical Health
With the release and healing of trauma comes a decrease in cortisol levels that negatively affect your health. When that happens, your health will improve, and you will begin to feel healthier and stronger.
Better sleep, less stress, a more positive response to triggers, and overall mental health improvement will inevitably reflect in your overall health and well-being. You’ll have more energy to do things and more interest to interact socially.
2. Decreased Self-Doubt
When you meditate, you’ll notice an increase in self-confidence and self-worth. By its very nature, these will eliminate self-doubt.
You will begin to trust yourself and your decision-making skills again. Your ability to notice red flags and keep the past where it belongs will give you security and calm.
Self-doubt is a big part of storing trauma because someone has convinced you that you were somehow to blame, that it was all your fault, or shame you for your feelings.
As you realize your self-worth, feelings, and experiences are valid, you will notice a significant decrease in self-doubt.
3. More Compassion
As a survivor of trauma, a sign that your body is releasing and healing the negative attachment is noticing that you feel more compassion for yourself, your inner child, and your identity.
You will also recognize that you have more compassion for others, maybe even those that caused your trauma.
A change in perspective and improvement in mental health will eventually manifest in more compassion for yourself and others. In fact, you may feel that you’re a new person or the real you that can finally let the light shine from within.
4. Unexplained Crying
Sometimes, signs your body is releasing trauma are that you cry spontaneously for seemingly no reason.
It happens because your body has stored so much hurt, pain, memories, and stress that it comes out in tears when it begins to release and heal.
For example, my daughter and I were shopping. Suddenly, the faucet came on, and I was moved to tears. My daughter panicked and asked what was wrong.
Nothing was wrong. I began to laugh uncontrollably at myself, and she laughed too. This was a perfect example of releasing the overwhelming burden of past trauma.
5. Improved Quality of Sleep
This is a huge sign that your body is releasing and healing trauma. When you notice that you’re sleeping better and longer without nightmares or night terrors, you are healing. Your mind is calming and releasing stress, so you sleep much better.
Tt's important to create an evening routine that closes out the “open loops” for the day and gets you ready for a restful sleep and then to tackle the next day. So watch the video below to learn about 9 evening routine habits.
6. Recognizing Triggers and Boundaries
As your body begins releasing and healing, you’ll start recognizing your triggers to avoid them. You’ll also begin to establish your boundaries so healing can continue.
7. Facing and Owning Your Emotions
During the process of letting go of past trauma, you will be able to face your emotions and own them. This gives your feelings validation and, in a weird way, permission to move on.
8. You Stop Re-living the Traumatic Event
It is common among survivors for emotions, imagination, and deeply embedded fears to cause us to re-live the trauma repeatedly. When your body begins releasing and healing, you’ll see a decrease in this.
9. Your Purpose and Passion for Living Returns
The negative impact of trauma on our bodies results in the elimination of purpose and disinterest in living. But when release and healing occur, you’ll find a new purpose, determination, and passion for living.
10. You Stop Feeling Overwhelmed or Triggered by Things
As you let go of the trauma attachment, you’ll notice that things don’t overwhelm you so easily anymore, and something that once triggered you to fall into the abyss no longer has such strong power.
11. Your Overall Attitude and Outlook for the Future is Bright
Release and healing of the negative energy will change your outlook to be more positive, brighter, and exciting.
With it, your overall attitude will improve greatly.
12. You’ve taken Back Your Power
One day, you’ll look in the mirror and feel pride and gratitude for who you have become.
You won’t see yourself as a victim as much as a conqueror. You will feel energized and realize that you have taken back your power.
13. Improved Mental Health
All the negative mental health aspects that come with the heavy burden of trauma will dissipate. You’ll feel freer, happier, more stable, and more positive about yourself, your life, and others.
14. Resentment, Anger, Bitterness, and Fear are a Waste of Time
Along with releasing and healing trauma, resentment, anger, bitterness, and fear go out the window. You’ll realize that they sucked the energy out of you and were a perfect waste of time and emotions.
These negative emotions are directly linked to the cortisol effect and an adverse impact on your physical and mental health as well. Better health will come when you release these culprits.
15. You Feel Calm and Don’t Startle or Twitch Anymore
You’ll look around one day and notice that you feel calm, tranquil, and at peace. You don’t startle as easily, and the involuntary twitches have ceased. It’s a sign of good things to come.
16. Your Interpersonal Relationships Improve
The negative impact of trauma and the mental health issues it brings will begin to subside. You’ll notice that your interpersonal relationships are going more smoothly and improving daily.
17. You Feel Grateful and Happy about Living
As you release and heal the trauma, you’ll begin to find the tiniest things to be grateful for several times per day. It will come naturally. With it comes genuine happiness and joy in life and living.
18. You No Longer Over-react
As the triggers lose power over you, you’ll see that you no longer overreact as much as you did before. It is a sign that things are beginning to settle, and peace is growing inside you.
19. You Genuinely Feel Self-Love
You’ll start to feel love for yourself in ways you never have before. You’ll treat yourself kinder and with more compassion.
It will also increase your self-respect and improve how you allow others to treat you. When you experience self-love, it also enhances your ability to love others and accept love from them.
20. You No Longer Self-Sabotage
When good things happen, or things are going smoothly, you’ll start to let them come to you without sabotaging them.
Self-sabotage will diminish as you feel more confidence, self-love, and self-respect.
21. Others Notice the Positive Change in You
This is a biggie. When others begin to notice the positive changes in you, invite you to social events, and want to be around you, you’ll know that the positive effects of releasing and healing are real and life-changing.
Possible Ramifications of Not Releasing & Healing Trauma
When the body stores trauma or the memory of trauma, it refuses to allow complete healing to take place. It’s like an old scar on your body that remains tender for years, storing the trauma and not allowing it to heal fully.
This can happen psychologically and emotionally too.
Trauma is a leading cause of bodily illness and disease as it skyrockets the release of unsafe cortisol levels from the brain. It starts with small amounts, but with increased stress, it elevates to dangerous levels.
Check out some of the potential negative repercussions of refusing to release and heal trauma:
What to Do if You Need a Boost Releasing & Healing Trauma
Sometimes, we all need a boost to get where we know we need to be. There is always hope and a place where healthy nurturing and healing can take place.
Consider these trauma-healing ideas:
Here are a few sites that can help you:
Dealing with past trauma is no joking matter. From the depths of my heart, I promise there is hope and healing available for you. You can release and heal the negative attachment that keeps you down or stops you from experiencing all the beautiful things in life. If you work on releasing and healing your trauma, happiness, peace, calm, love, and joy are just around the corner. I know you can do this!
Final Thoughts on Signs Your Body is Releasing Trauma
The truth is that releasing and healing trauma is no walk in the park. It takes courage and determination to reach the other side. It takes soul-searching and relentless resolve to take your power back. It takes the steadfast yearning to be able to say, “I am no longer a victim!”
The really cool thing is that there are many of us out there who have gone that path and want to help. You don’t have to tackle this alone. Just take that first step and reach out.
The next thing you know, your life will become brilliantly breathtaking. If you want to know more, look at Post-Traumatic Growth: A Guide to Enjoying Life Again.
And if you're looking for more articles on improving yourself, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 8 Intentional Living Strategies to Follow Your Values
- 15 Simple Ways to Feel More Empowered in Life
- 9 Ways to Build a More Positive Self-Image of Yourself
