Why your body never forgets trauma

Your body never forgets trauma because it imprints upon your nervous system and leaves a lasting impression — almost like a permanent ‘dent’ in your bodywork. Trauma is so overwhelming that the brain struggles to process the experience correctly and the memories get stored in a jumbled up and distorted way. The body never forgets trauma and it can change the way we think, feel and behave for a long time afterwards.

The treatment for trauma, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, involves unpacking the memory, rewriting it and making sense of it. It can then be stored in a new organised way. The body never forgets trauma and I have experienced this first hand.

A traumatic childhood

There were experiences in my childhood that I would rather forget. Most lie dormant and don’t affect me as an adult. There are however triggers that shortcut my emotions straight back to the frightened feelings I had as a child. Is common in trauma and there is a pattern of immediate and subconscious responses to the world around us, influenced by trauma from the past.

Trauma can be confusing because even when you try to reason with yourself on an intellectual level, the emotional behaviour linked to the trauma is far stronger.

I have returned to partners that were emotionally abusive. The healthy adult in me would tell me that I was crazy to go back. I would question my sanity and wonder where my self-respect had gone. Yet on the other hand there was…