Signs your Body is Releasing Trauma

Human body stores all the emotions and while the mind processes it. Body has cellular memories and so childhood trauma can still be there in adulthood. Trauma is individual. Same event can be traumatic for someone while for others it can be a normal event. Trauma happens within us and not outside. Trauma, whether it stems from a single distressing event or a series of painful experiences, often gets stored in the body. When the body begins to release this trauma, it may manifest in various ways, ranging from physical symptoms to emotional reactions and behavioural changes. Research has proved that more than 90% of diseases are psychosomatic. Understanding the signs your body is releasing trauma can be an important part of the healing process, helping you recognize the changes occurring and allowing you to navigate them with compassion and self-awareness. That’s why working with the body is extremely important to release trauma from a cellular level and so Yoga, dance, exercise are popular methods to heal.

Understanding Trauma and Its Impact on the Body

Trauma is any event or series of events that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope. It could include emotional neglect, physical abuse, accidents, natural disasters, or significant loss. These experiences can leave a deep imprint on both the mind and body. The nervous system, particularly the autonomic nervous system (ANS), plays a crucial role in how trauma is stored and how it eventually manifests. Trauma often pushes the body into a state of fight, flight or freeze and if unresolved, this stress response or to say the coping strategy can become a habitual pattern, even long after the event. Fight is when we argue, shout etc, examples of flight is divorce, quitting a job or career and freezing response is falling into depression. When an individual cannot fight or flight the freeze response kicks in. So it’s important to either fight or flight to avoid depression.

Trauma that is unprocessed or unresolved often gets stored in the body, manifesting as chronic pain, muscle tension, fatigue, digestive problems, or emotional instability. The release of this trauma, however, is not always straightforward. It can happen suddenly or gradually, and the signs can be subtle or pronounced. How fast or slow a person releases trauma is individual different people have different capacities. 

Signs Your Body is Releasing Trauma

When your body starts releasing trauma, it is essentially working through the stored emotional and physical energy that has been “trapped” within it. Below are some of the common signs that indicate your body is processing and releasing trauma.

1. Physical Sensations and Reactions

The release of trauma often comes with physical sensations as the body moves through the process of healing. These sensations may be temporary but can range in intensity depending on the individual and the level of trauma stored.

• Trembling or Shaking: One of the most common signs of trauma release is involuntary shaking or trembling. This can happen when your nervous system is “discharging” stored stress or tension. It is the body’s way of releasing energy that has been trapped due to the trauma.
• Muscle Twitches or Spasms: Similarly, your muscles may spasm or twitch as they release tension that was stored during the traumatic event. This is often seen in somatic therapy or bodywork when trauma is being actively processed.
• Tightness or Tension in the Body: Many people report feeling areas of tightness, particularly in the shoulders, neck, or jaw, begin to release. This is where many people store stress, and as trauma is processed, these muscles may relax or even feel sore as they release pent-up tension.
• Changes in Posture or Alignment: Trauma can literally affect how we carry ourselves. If you have been holding trauma in your body, your posture may have shifted in response. As the body releases trauma, you may notice a change in your posture and a feeling of lightness or ease in movement.
• Hot or Cold Sensations: The release of trauma can sometimes be accompanied by intense hot or cold sensations in the body. Heat often represents the release of stored energy, while cold may indicate a reconnection with dissociated or “frozen” emotions or memories.
• Tears or Crying: Tears are a natural part of emotional release. Crying can be spontaneous and might not even be tied to any specific memory or thought. This often happens because the body is releasing pent-up emotions that have been stored for a long time, providing a way for emotional energy to be released through the body also known as catharsis.

2. Emotional Shifts and Catharsis

Since trauma affects not only the body but also emotions, emotional shifts are a major sign of trauma release. These emotions can range from intense sadness to sudden joy or peace.

• Sudden Emotional Outbursts: As the body processes trauma, you might experience unexpected emotional outbursts, such as anger, sadness, or frustration. This is your body and mind working through unexpressed emotions tied to past events. These outbursts can feel intense but are often a necessary part of the healing process.
• Increased Sensitivity to Emotions: Releasing trauma may make you more emotionally sensitive for a time. You might cry more easily, feel more deeply, or experience emotions that seem disproportionate to the situation at hand. This heightened sensitivity is often a sign that previously suppressed emotions are rising to the surface. Allow yourself to cry and release.
• Feeling Lighter or More Peaceful: As your body releases trauma, you may feel a sense of emotional relief. This feeling of lightness or inner peace is a sign that the body has let go of some of its emotional burdens.
• Unexplained Emotional Swings: You may experience emotional swings as your body processes trauma. These fluctuations are normal as your nervous system recalibrates and adjusts to the release of stored trauma.

3. Cognitive Changes and Mental Clarity

The release of trauma can also affect your mental and cognitive state. Since trauma impacts brain function, particularly areas related to memory, concentration, and emotional regulation, its release may be accompanied by changes in how you think and process information.

• Flashbacks or Vivid Dreams: As your body releases trauma, memories tied to the traumatic experience may surface. You may experience flashbacks or vivid dreams related to the event. This is often a sign that your brain is processing and integrating the trauma. Such dreams are known as processing dreams. In my case as I healed myself through therapies my dream patterns changed. Earlier predominantly my dreams were sad and pessimistic. After I healed via many therapies it became neutral and at times happy as well.
• Increased Mental Clarity: Once the trauma is released, you may experience periods of mental clarity or focus. As trauma gives rise to confusion as trauma splits us and different parts of us want to do or say different things. When we heal and integrate parts of us then clarity comes.Trauma often clouds our thinking, making it hard to concentrate or make right decisions. The release can bring about a newfound sense of mental clarity.
• Temporary Confusion or Disorientation: Conversely, during the release process, you might feel temporarily confused or disoriented. This is because trauma often affects the brain’s ability to process information smoothly, and as it releases, it can feel like your mind is reorganizing itself.
• Reduction in Negative Thought Patterns: Trauma can perpetuate negative thought patterns, such as self-criticism, guilt, or feelings of unworthiness and even self sabotaging behaviour. As trauma is released, these thought patterns may become less dominant, allowing for more positive, constructive thinking about self, others and life situations. 

4. Behavioral and Relational Changes

Trauma release often leads to changes in your whole being including behaviour and how you relate to others. Even what we feel and think about ourselves changes. 

• Changes in Social Behavior: You might notice that you are more open or less defensive in social interactions. Trauma can make people withdraw or react aggressively in relationships. When this trauma is healed, you may find it easier to communicate with others, set boundaries or express yourself. Compulsive lying, over sharing of personal details etc are most often trauma responses.
• Desire for Solitude or Time Alone: You may need time alone to process emotions, reflect, or just rest. This desire for solitude is often a way for your nervous system to regulate and recalibrate after the intense energy of trauma healing.
• Releasing Addictive Behaviours: Many people use substances or behaviours like alcohol, food, or work to numb trauma. As your body heals stored trauma, you may find that you no longer need to engage in these behaviours to the same degree. This could be a sign that you’re beginning to heal and no longer need these coping mechanisms. Most addictions are trauma responses whether it be alcohol, work, shopping or overeating. 
• Increased Energy or Motivation: Trauma often depletes your energy levels, making it hard to feel motivated or enthusiastic. Once trauma is healed, many people experience a surge in energy or motivation, allowing them to pursue goals and activities they had previously neglected. You may know many people who fared badly in academics or professional life but when something changed in them they started to do better. Many times trauma heals on its own and at times it requires support of a therapist. 

5. Spiritual Awakening and Connection

For some, the healing of trauma leads to a deeper sense of connection to oneself, others, or a higher power. As trauma creates blocks it can block our ability to connect with our spiritual selves, but its release can open doors to profound personal growth.

• Increased Intuition: As you heal or to say transform trauma, you may find that your intuition or “gut feelings” become stronger. All humans are intuitive but trauma can cloud your inner guidance, but once released, you may feel more connected to your inner wisdom and more confident in trusting your instincts.
• Feeling Grounded or Centred: Trauma often disrupts your sense of security and groundedness. As your body releases trauma, you may feel a deeper connection to the present moment, your body, and the world around you. This groundedness is a sign that you are reclaiming your sense of safety and stability.
• Sense of Purpose or Meaning: Trauma can disconnect us from how we feel or what we want in life. As we heal our own trauma, we may experience a renewed sense of purpose or a clearer understanding of life’s direction.

Conclusion: The Healing Journey

Releasing trauma from the body is a complex and deeply personal process. It can manifest in a variety of physical, emotional and mental issues as mind and body are connected.  While some signs of trauma release may be uncomfortable or even painful, they are often necessary to release the trauma and for healing to occur. Recognizing these signs and being patient with yourself or to say being kind to ourselves goes a long way in releasing and healing trauma. Our attitude shall be to transform the trauma and not get rid of it as it came into our life for some reason and has been a part of us. As trauma is released, many people report feeling more connected to themselves, more emotionally balanced, and more capable of living in the present moment.

Healing from trauma is a gradual process and might not happen overnight, but every sign of release is a step toward. It can take 1 day or one lifetime but we ought to be patient with ourselves. As often we let go of it bit by bit as letting go of it all together can overwhelm the body and mind.