Myth-Buster:

Trauma isn’t just the bad thing that happened - it’s the biological process that got interrupted. When your nervous system perceives threat, it primes for one of three survival responses: fight, flight, or freeze. But modern life rarely lets us complete these actions. The trauma isn’t in the event—it’s in the unexpressed physical response that lingers like a suspended animation.

‍The Freeze Paradox

‍When fight/flight fails, the body goes into freeze (tonic immobility) - a biological last resort seen across mammals:

•        A rabbit "plays dead" when caught by a fox, then shakes violently upon escape to discharge frozen energy.
•        An impala collapses when a lion attacks, then trembles and bolts upright if it survives. 

Humans share this hardwired response, but unlike animals, we often don’t complete the cycle.
The result? A body stuck with:

•        Undischarged adrenaline → chronichypervigilance
‍•        Unspent movement impulses → unexplained muscle tension
•        Unfinished protective gestures → stiff shoulders (aborted shielding) 

‍The Science of Completion

‍Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing research shows trauma resolution requires:

‍1.      Sympathetic Activation (the revved-up survival energy)
‍2.      Parasympathetic Completion (the release and reset) 

‍Example:
‍•        A person rear-ended in a car crash jerks forward(sympathetic activation) but doesn’t turn to look/yell/push back (unfinished response). The body remains "mid-reaction" indefinitely.  

Nature’s Blueprint for Healing:

1.      Shaking (like a dog after a near-miss) disperses trapped energy.
‍2.      Spontaneous movements (kicking, pushing) complete thwarted defenses.
‍3.      Deep sighs/tears shift the nervous system out of freeze. 

‍Three Steps to Complete What Your Body Started

‍1.      Notice Frozen Fragments
‍◦        Where you habitually tense (jaw? shoulders?) often marks unfinished actions.

2.     Simulate the Completion
‍◦        If you freeze during conflict, try slowly pushing your palms outward later.
◦        For accident trauma, rehearse the avoided motion (e.g., turning to "look" in safe space).

3.     Shake It Out
‍◦        Stand and vibrate your limbs for 30 seconds - this isn’t metaphorical; it’s what foxes do post-freeze. 

‍The Liberation in Discharge

‍Trauma isn’t a life sentence - it’s a physiological interruption waiting to resolve.
Your body knows how to finish what it started. As neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp proved: "The body keeps the score, but it also keeps the solution."

‍"Next time you feel ‘stuck,’ ask: What movement is my body wanting to make?
Then let it happen in slow motion." 

With heartfelt compassion and dedication,
Nisarga Eryk Dobosz - BBTRS, BCST, CI, MER, LOMI