What Happens in the Nervous System During Trauma Responses
Trauma is both an emotional and physiological experience. When the nervous system perceives a threat, it can shift into states of fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. These responses are not conscious choices, but rather, are adaptive survival patterns that helped protect you in the past. These responses to stress (perceived or real) can move both the mind and body into activation. Living in chronic states of activation can be harmful to our overall health.
In trauma recovery work, healing often begins with understanding that dysregulation is not a personal failure. It is a nervous system response that once made sense. Over time, the system can learn new patterns of safety through attuned support, grounding practices, and relational repair.
Healing does not come from attempting to force calm or bypassing pain. Healing begins with learning how your nervous system communicates, and slowly building the capacity to return to regulation with greater support and awareness.
Regina Filomeno, LCSW is a Chicago-based therapist offering trauma-informed, spiritually-integrated therapy for adults across Illinois. Her work blends somatic, holistic, and mind-body approaches with space for intuitive, nature-based, and nontraditional spiritual perspectives. She specializes in supporting sensitive, neurodivergent, and introspective individuals navigating trauma, burnout, and identity. Learn more about therapy with Regina here.
