How Trauma Shapes our mind, body and identity part 1

In This Post

• What trauma actually is – and what it’s not

• How trauma affects the brain and nervous system

• Subtle ways trauma shows up in your body and behavior

• 5 signs you might be stuck in survival mode

• A journaling prompt to gently begin your healing

  
  

Trauma isn’t just a memory. It’s a state many of us live in without even realizing it.

That’s why I’m breaking this topic into smaller pieces, so we can unpack it together, one layer at a time.

I’ll walk you through what trauma actually is, how it forms, and how it affects us, both visibly and invisibly.

Trauma looks different for everyone. There’s no one-size-fits-all path to healing. Each of us must find our own way to peace. My hope is that my perspective might help you begin to find yours.

What Is Trauma (Briefly) – And How Does It Affect Us?

Trauma is a powerful, often overwhelming response of the body and mind to something that exceeds our ability to cope. It’s not just the event itself, it’s how that experience gets imprinted into the body and brain.

It’s often bitter, frightening, or crushing, and no, it doesn’t just "go away with time." Or it can, but mostly not.

Trauma can stem from:

• Sudden, deeply shocking events (e.g. accidents, violence, abuse)

• Ongoing and repeated stressors (e.g. emotional neglect, psychological abuse during childhood)

• Even “small,” but repeated emotional or physical blows can accumulate into trauma over time

  
  

The core of trauma is this: it breaks our natural ability to process an experience. The event gets stuck, lodged in the body, the mind, the nervous system, causing ongoing stress, fear, or inner instability.

You’ll often see it manifest as:

• Physical symptoms (anxiety, tension, unexplained pain)

• Mental reactions (fear, shutdown, memory lapses)

• Behavioral patterns (isolation, overreacting, substance use)

  
  

Trauma isn’t a weakness. And it’s not something you should just “get over.”

It’s a sign that you went through something so intense your system had to go into survival mode to protect you.

Trauma isn’t just about what happened to you. It’s about what happened inside you as a result.

No one has the right to decide whether your pain is valid enough to be called trauma.

That’s not up for debate.

Sure, these days, the word “trauma” gets thrown around a lot, and its meaning is starting to blur, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. For some people, trauma is their everyday reality. And that needs to be acknowledged.

How Trauma Affects the Brain

Let’s get into the science.

When you experience trauma, your brain goes into high-alert mode. It activates three key areas:

• Amygdala (your fear center): goes into overdrive, detecting danger even when none exists.

• Prefrontal cortex (your reasoning center): shuts down, making clear thinking and logical decisions harder.

• Hippocampus (memory and time integration): may shrink or glitch, causing foggy memory or disjointed flashbacks.

  
  

That’s why trauma survivors often feel constantly on edge, forgetful, emotionally volatile. They’re not broken.

Their brains are doing exactly what they learned to do to survive. But when this survival mode becomes the norm, the nervous system recalibrates.

It starts to expect threat everywhere. All the time.

And over time, this can turn into what we call complex PTSD, a persistent state of hypervigilance, emotional chaos, and disconnection from self.

For me, this has always shown up as hyper-awareness.

I notice everything around me: every sound, every shift in energy, every microexpression.

My system constantly scans the environment for potential threats, even when none exist.

That’s why I avoided large crowds for years. It wasn’t just social anxiety, it was sensory overload.

Too many people. Too many energies. Too many variables I couldn’t control.

It was exhausting.

And honestly, I’m not sure it will ever fully go away.

My body has learned this pattern over a lifetime, this state has become its baseline.

But the difference now is this: it’s no longer fear-driven. I’m not scanning the world in panic anymore. It’s simply the way my brain has learned to process information, and that’s okay.

How Trauma Affects the Body

Trauma leaves its mark on the body, too. It alters how we move through life, often in subtle, automatic ways. Many of these we don’t even notice, until we start asking why we do what we do.

For example, trauma can show up as:

• Emotional or binge eating

• Chronic muscle tension and pain

• Restlessness or inner agitation

• Digestive issues

• Lack of motivation or apathy

  
  

These are all ways the body signals: “Something’s off. I’m not safe.” Your system is still stuck in fight-flight-freeze.

But how can you tell if your body is really stuck in survival mode?

5 Signs Your Body Might Be in Survival Mode

1. You can’t get yourself moving

The day begins. You know what you “should” do. But… you just can’t. Every task feels heavy. Even simple things feel impossible.

This isn’t laziness, this is your body conserving energy, as if you're still in danger.

2. Nothing really feels like anything

No joy. No sadness. Maybe not even boredom. Just a flat, muted nothingness.

It’s not that something is wrong with you. This is a shutdown response, your nervous system hitting the brakes to avoid emotional overload.

3. Tiny things can ruin your whole day

A badly timed message. A weird look. A single offhand comment. Suddenly you’re tense, spiraling, maybe shutting down or exploding.

You’re not “too sensitive.” Your system is reacting as if a real threat just occurred, because it can’t yet tell the difference between a past danger and a present-day trigger.

4. You don’t know what you want

You ask yourself what you really want, and there’s just silence.

You’ve spent so long adapting, keeping peace, reading others, that you’ve lost touch with your own desires. Survival mode doesn’t prioritize authenticity, it prioritizes safety.

5. You don’t want to be around people, but being alone doesn’t help either

Socializing drains you. But being alone hurts. You’re stuck in a limbo where nothing feels restorative.

This is a classic sign of chronic survival mode: your body doesn’t feel safe with others, but it doesn’t feel safe alone either.

If you suddenly feel like you’ve “become an introvert,” ask yourself, could this actually be trauma?

If you saw yourself in any of these, you might be thinking:

“Okay… thanks for pointing that out, but now what?”

Now, you make a decision.

Do you want to keep living this way or do you want to feel better?

A Journal Prompt for You

• In what areas of my daily life is trauma still showing up?

• Are there habits or behaviors I’ve developed since after the event(s)?

• What kind of change am I longing for?

  
  

Don’t overthink this. Write for yourself. No judgment, no overanalysis.

This isn’t about solving everything, it’s about shifting from autopilot into awareness.

If you don’t have the energy or courage to write just yet, simply try to notice one moment during the day when your reaction feels bigger than the situation. That’s enough for now.

Summary:

Trauma isn’t just about what happened to you—it’s about how your system responded in order to survive.

It can live in your body long after the event has passed, shaping your thoughts, reactions, and sense of self without you even realizing it.

This post explored:

• What trauma actually is

• How it affects the brain, body, and behavior

• Subtle but powerful signs that your system might still be stuck in survival mode

• A journaling prompt to help you shift from autopilot to awareness

Healing starts with recognition.

Not with fixing. Not with fighting. But with noticing: gently, curiously, without judgment.

Your body isn’t broken. It’s wise. It’s just trying to keep you alive, and now, you get to learn how to truly live again.

I’d love to hear from you.

How has trauma shaped your life, and what have you done to start healing?

If you feel safe sharing in the comments, your story might be the one that helps someone else take their first step.

And remember, I believe in you

Mari

Read next How Trauma Shapes our mind, body and identity part 2

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Disclaimer:

This blog does not offer medical, psychological, or nutritional advice. I am not a certified professional. I simply share personal experiences, insights, and observations.

The content is not intended to replace professional assessment, therapy, or treatment. It is each reader’s responsibility to evaluate whether the information resonates or applies to their own situation, and to make independent decisions accordingly. I always encourage critical thinking and exploring multiple sources.

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