I Feel Crazy. Is it a Trigger?

Trauma is a wound no one deserves. But here we are—living in bodies that remember things we wish they didn’t.

You might think time would soften the edges, blur the memories, make it all feel like a distant echo. But trauma doesn’t play by those rules. Sometimes it lies dormant for years, then resurfaces out of nowhere—like a ghost with terrible timing.

A smell. A sound. A glance. Suddenly, you’re flooded. Overwhelmed. Your body’s screaming, your brain’s spinning, and you’re wondering, What the hell just happened?

That, my friend, is a trauma response. And it can hijack everything—from your work to your relationships to your sense of self.

What a Trauma Response Actually Feels Like

Trauma responses aren’t one-size-fits-all. They’re messy, personal, and often confusing.

But one thing many of us share? Fear. Deep, gut-level fear that shows up as:

• Sweating

• Shaking

• Racing heartbeat

• Anger

• Panic

• Feeling trapped

It’s your body’s fight-or-flight system doing its job—trying to protect you from danger, even if the danger isn’t technically “here” anymore.

And the worst part? Sometimes you don’t even know what triggered it. You just know you’re spiraling, and it feels impossible to stop.

How to Ride the Wave (Instead of Drowning in It)

Managing trauma responses isn’t about “fixing” yourself. It’s about learning to respond instead of react.

Here are a few tools that can help:

• Mindfulness: Not the Instagram version. The real kind. The kind where you sit with your body and say, “Okay, what’s happening right now?”

• Grounding techniques: Name five things you see. Feel your feet on the floor. Breathe like you mean it.

• Self-compassion: You’re not weak. You’re not broken. You’re responding to pain the best way your body knows how.

And most importantly: You don’t have to do this alone.

It's Not Pretty Work, but it's Powerful

Support changes everything. Whether it’s a therapist, a friend, a journal, or a dog who doesn’t judge your ugly crying—connection helps regulate your nervous system and remind you that you’re safe.

Healing from trauma isn’t linear. It’s not pretty. It’s not fast.

But it’s possible.

Every time you pause, breathe, and choose compassion—you’re rewriting the story. You’re proving to yourself that you’re not defined by what happened to you. You’re defined by how you rise.

So if you’re in the thick of it, hear this: You’re not alone. You’re not too much. You’re healing—and that’s the bravest thing you’ll ever do.

From my messy heart to yours,