The Hidden Cost of Suppressed Anger: How Repressed Emotions Fuel Nervous System Dysregulation, Dissociation, and Burnout

Suppressing anger can dysregulate the nervous system, leading to chronic shutdown, freeze, dissociation, and burnout. Discover how your body is wired to fight in response to threat and how trauma-informed therapy helps restore balance, resilience, and authentic connection.

More than an Emotional Burden

Have you ever swallowed your anger to keep the peace, only to feel numb, exhausted, or disconnected later? Do you find yourself caught in cycles of fatigue, shutdown, or burnout with no apparent reason why? Suppressed anger is more than an emotional burden; it is a physiological stressor that can hijack the nervous system and undermine mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we see every day how repressed anger contributes to chronic nervous system dysregulation. Anger, when unacknowledged or suppressed, often morphs into dissociation, anxiety, depression, or even physical pain. Understanding the neuroscience behind this process is the first step toward reclaiming emotional balance and nervous system health.

Why Suppressing Anger Dysregulates the Nervous System

The human nervous system is wired for survival. According to the Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 2011), when we perceive a threat, our bodies naturally prepare for fight or flight. Anger is the body’s fight response: increased heart rate, tense muscles, narrowed focus, and a surge of adrenaline. This activation is not a flaw; it is the body’s way of mobilizing to protect itself.

But what happens when cultural conditioning, family dynamics, or personal fears convince us that anger is unsafe or unacceptable? Instead of completing the natural fight response, we suppress it. The nervous system, unable to discharge this energy, becomes stuck in a state of dysregulation. Over time, this unresolved activation can lead to chronic states of hyperarousal (anxiety, irritability, restlessness) or hypoarousal (numbness, dissociation, exhaustion).

The Link Between Repressed Anger and Shutdown

When anger is consistently suppressed, the nervous system eventually shifts into protective states, such as freeze or collapse. Imagine holding down the accelerator and brake at the same time; your body revs with fight energy but slams on the brake to stay “in control.” The result is chronic tension and eventual burnout.

Common signs of shutdown from suppressed anger include:

      — Feeling disconnected from your body or emotions
      — Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
      — Chronic fatigue or a sense of heaviness
      — Loss of motivation or interest in relationships and activities
      — Increased susceptibility to stress and illness

These experiences are not weaknesses; they are the body’s attempt to protect you when anger has no safe outlet.

How Suppressed Anger Fuels Dissociation

Dissociation often arises when the nervous system becomes overwhelmed. If the fight response is blocked, the brain may disconnect awareness from the body to reduce discomfort. You may feel “far away,” as if watching life through a foggy lens. While dissociation provides short-term relief, it prevents emotions from being fully processed, keeping the nervous system trapped in a state of dysregulation.

This cycle is pervasive in people with trauma histories, where expressing anger once carried real danger. Yet even in adulthood, when circumstances have changed, the nervous system continues to rely on the old survival pattern of suppression.

Suppression, Burnout, and the Cost to Relationships

Anger is not only about self-protection; it is also about boundaries and authenticity. When anger is continually suppressed, boundaries erode. You may say “yes” when you mean “no,” tolerate unfair treatment, or sacrifice your needs to avoid conflict. Over time, this people-pleasing dynamic fuels resentment and emotional exhaustion.

Burnout, in this context, is more than workplace fatigue. It is the result of a nervous system that has been forced into chronic suppression, never allowed to mobilize, never allowed to rest. Relationships may suffer as irritability, withdrawal, or emotional numbness replace genuine intimacy and connection.

Questions to Ask Yourself

     — Do you feel guilty or unsafe expressing anger?
    — Do you notice physical tension (tight jaw, clenched fists, stiff shoulders) when upset, even if you remain silent?
     — Have you ever gone from irritability straight into exhaustion or shutdown without fully expressing what you felt?
    — Do you find yourself dissociating, checking out, spacing out, or numbing when you feel conflict or frustration?

These are signals that suppressed anger may be fueling nervous system dysregulation in your life.

The Neuroscience of Anger Expression

Neuroscience shows that emotions like anger are embodied experiences. When anger arises, the amygdala activates the fight-or-flight response, releasing stress hormones throughout the body (LeDoux, 2015). If this energy is safely expressed through words, movement, or boundary-setting, the prefrontal cortex helps regulate and integrate the experience.

But when anger is suppressed, the amygdala remains activated without resolution. The sympathetic nervous system stays on high alert, or, when exhausted, collapses into parasympathetic shutdown. Over time, this cycle weakens resilience and contributes to symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Healthy Ways to Express Anger

Suppressing anger is harmful, but explosive outbursts are not the answer either. Healing requires learning safe, constructive ways to move anger through the body while staying connected to yourself and others. At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we help clients explore:

1. Somatic Awareness Practices
Learning to notice where anger manifests in the body, such as a tight jaw, heat in the chest, or clenched fists, and practicing safe release through techniques like shaking, stomping, or deep breathing.

2. EMDR and Attachment-Focused Therapy
Processing unresolved trauma that fuels suppressed anger, while building resources for safe self-expression.

3. Boundary and Communication Skills
Developing the ability to say no, assert needs, and use reflective communication in relationships.

4. Mind-Body Practices
Yoga, trauma-informed movement, and nervous system regulation tools that restore balance and resilience.

5 Compassion-Based Approaches
Meeting anger with curiosity and care, rather than judgment, helps integrate it as a vital emotional signal instead of an enemy.

From Suppression to Integration

Anger is not a flaw; it is a natural part of your body’s design. When acknowledged and expressed with compassion, it becomes a guide toward authenticity, safety, and connection. Suppressing anger may have once been a survival strategy, but it no longer has to dominate your life.

By working with the nervous system rather than against it, you can transform suppressed anger into resilience, clarity, and energy for the life you want to live.

A Path Toward Nervous System Repair

If you are living with chronic shutdown, dissociation, or burnout, your body may be carrying years of unexpressed anger. The path forward begins with understanding that these symptoms are not personal failures; they are nervous system survival strategies that can be repaired.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in trauma-informed, somatic, and relational therapies that help clients heal from suppressed anger and restore nervous system balance. Whether through EMDR, somatic experiencing, or couples work, our team provides compassionate, neuroscience-based care that supports emotional regulation, intimacy, and resilience.

Your nervous system has the capacity to heal, and anger can be reclaimed as a vital force for growth, protection, and authentic connection.

Contact us today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and begin your journey toward nervous system repair and embodied connection with yourself and others.

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr. ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

LeDoux, J. (2015). Anxious: Using the brain to understand and treat fear and anxiety. Viking.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W.W. Norton.

Siegel, D. J. (2020). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

When Anxiety Wears the Mask of Anger: The Neuroscience Behind Irritability and Emotional Overwhelm

 Discover why anxiety often manifests as irritability or anger. Learn the neuroscience behind emotional dysregulation and how trauma-informed therapy can support emotional resilience. Explore expert insight from Embodied Wellness and Recovery.

Have you ever snapped at someone you care about, only to later realize your anger had nothing to do with them? Do you find yourself quick to react, simmering beneath the surface, wondering why everything feels so overwhelming? If you’re struggling with irritability, mood swings, or unexplained bursts of anger, it might surprise you to learn that what you’re experiencing isn’t just frustration; it could be anxiety in disguise.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we frequently hear from clients who feel ashamed of their irritability or overwhelmed by their quick temper, not realizing these reactions are rooted in deeper emotional states like fear, stress, and nervous system dysregulation. Understanding why anxiety so often shows up as anger is a powerful first step toward greater emotional balance, self-compassion, and healthier relationships.

What Does It Mean When Anxiety Shows Up as Anger?

Anxiety is often characterized by worry, panic, or rumination, but for many people, it doesn’t look like that at all. Instead, it shows up as restlessness, tension, and irritability. Over time, unprocessed anxiety can manifest as sudden outbursts, defensiveness, or even rage.

So, what’s happening beneath the surface?

Anxiety activates the body’s threat detection system, specifically the amygdala, the brain’s alarm center. When the amygdala perceives a threat (real or imagined), it kicks off a cascade of responses via the sympathetic nervous system: increased heart rate, muscle tension, shallow breathing. If that heightened arousal doesn’t get discharged or soothed, it builds.

And when there’s no safe outlet for the fear or uncertainty, the body often converts that charge into anger.

In other words, anger becomes a protective strategy, an attempt to regain control, create distance, or defend against vulnerability.

Why Does This Happen? A Look at the Neuroscience

Neuroscience research shows that anxiety and anger are more closely linked than we once believed. Both originate from the limbic system, particularly the amygdala and hypothalamus, which mediate our stress and emotional responses (LeDoux, 2015).

When anxiety becomes chronic, the nervous system remains in a state of hypervigilance, interpreting even benign interactions as threatening. Over time, this creates what some researchers call “emotional misfiring,” reactivity to perceived threats that aren’t actually dangerous (Porges, 2011).

This misfiring means that someone who lives with anxiety might:

     — Perceive neutral facial expressions as hostile
     — Feel easily annoyed by sounds, interruptions, or clutter
     — React to constructive feedback as personal criticism

All of this is undergirded by a nervous system on high alert, constantly scanning for danger and reacting with anger when it finds what it believes is a threat.

The Role of Childhood Trauma and Attachment

For many people, especially those with histories of childhood trauma or insecure attachment, the link between anxiety and anger is even more deeply wired.

Children who grew up in unpredictable, emotionally unsafe environments may have learned to express their needs or fears through defensive aggression, because anger often received more attention than sadness or fear. In adulthood, this survival strategy can persist long after the original threat is gone.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we often see this dynamic in individuals who say:

     — “I don't know why I get so angry. It's like something just takes over.”
     — “I’m constantly irritable, even when nothing’s wrong.”
     — “I hate how reactive I get, but I can’t seem to stop.”

This isn’t a personality flaw. It’s a trauma-informed nervous system response that can be reshaped with the right support.

Common Signs Anxiety Is Showing Up as Anger or Irritability

If you're wondering whether your anger might actually be anxiety in disguise, here are some signs to look for:

     — You feel keyed up or “on edge” most of the time
    — You overreact to small inconveniences
    — You have a hard time letting things go
    — You feel exhausted but can't relax
    — You struggle to tolerate noise, interruptions, or chaos
    — You often feel misunderstood, unappreciated, or disrespected
    — You ruminate after an argument, replaying the interaction repeatedly

These symptoms are not random. They are the body’s way of communicating unresolved fear, chronic stress, or overstimulation.

What Helps: From Reaction to Regulation

There is good news: the nervous system can learn a new pattern. The key is regulation over repression, learning how to work with your body instead of against it.

Here are some trauma-informed, neuroscience-backed strategies we use at Embodied Wellness and Recovery to help clients manage anxiety-driven anger:

1. Track and Name the Sensation

Start by recognizing what anxiety feels like in your body. Is it tightness in your chest? Clenched jaw? A buzzing in your hands? Naming the sensation increases interoceptive awareness, a proven method for enhancing emotional regulation.

“Name it to tame it,” as Dr. Dan Siegel puts it.

2. Practice Nervous System Soothing

Soothing techniques help signal safety to your body. Try:

     — Vagus nerve stimulation (humming, gargling, cold splash)
     — Rhythmic movement (rocking, swaying, walking)
    — Co-regulation with a calm person or pet
     — Grounding through the senses (notice 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, etc.)

3. Somatic Therapy and EMDR

Somatic Experiencing and EMDR allow us to resolve trauma at the level of the body, not just the mind. These approaches help discharge stuck energy from the nervous system and develop internal resources for safety and resilience.

4. Boundary and Communication Work

Anxiety often stems from unspoken needs or unacknowledged boundaries. Learning to identify and express your limits reduces the internal tension that can build into irritability or resentment.

Real Transformation Is Possible

When anger is understood not as a failing but as a form of protection, it becomes easier to meet yourself with compassion. Anxiety-driven anger is a signal, not of brokenness, but of a nervous system working overtime to protect you.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in helping individuals regulate anxiety, heal trauma, and build meaningful connections through a nervous system-informed, relational approach. Our team of experts supports clients in discovering how early experiences shape current behaviors and provides tools to create new patterns of response.

Healing with Safe, Attuned Connection

If you recognize yourself in these patterns, know this: you are responding in ways that make sense based on your history, biology, and stress load. And you can learn new ways to feel, respond, and relate with less reactivity and more inner peace.

Reach out today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with a trauma-informed, somatic therapist at Embodied Wellness and Recovery and begin your journey toward emotional clarity, nervous system balance, and healthier relationships. 

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References:

LeDoux, J. E. (2015). Anxious: Using the Brain to Understand and Treat Fear and Anxiety. Viking.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

Siegel, D. J. (2012). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.

Why the Need for Control Is Really About Safety: How Anxiety, Fear, and Trauma Hijack the Nervous System

Struggling with control issues or perfectionism? Discover how the need for control is rooted in fear and nervous system dysregulation—and how somatic and trauma-informed therapy at Embodied Wellness and Recovery helps you feel safe in a world of uncertainty.

Do You Struggle When Life Feels Out of Control?

Do you feel panicked when plans change unexpectedly? Does uncertainty make you obsessively overthink or micromanage others? Do you find yourself exhausted from trying to control everything, your emotions, your relationships, even your future?

You're not being “too much.” You're trying to feel safe.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we understand that the need for control often stems from deep fear, unresolved trauma, and a dysregulated nervous system. Through trauma-informed, somatic, and relational approaches, we help individuals learn how to feel safe without relying on control as a survival strategy.

The Hidden Link Between Control and Fear

Many people believe control issues stem from personality traits like perfectionism or stubbornness. In reality, the need for control is a biological adaptation to protect against fear and perceived threats. It’s not about being demanding; it’s about managing internal chaos in the face of external unpredictability.

The Nervous System’s Role in Control

When your nervous system perceives danger, whether physical or emotional, it moves into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. For many, controlling behaviors become a form of "fight" or "fawn," a way to assert power or avoid conflict to reduce anxiety. These protective strategies are especially common among individuals with developmental trauma, attachment wounds, or chronic stress.

According to Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, our autonomic nervous system continuously scans for safety or threat. If your body doesn’t feel safe, even if you're technically "fine," it may compel you to take control of your environment, your relationships, or yourself in an attempt to stabilize your internal state (Porges, 2011).

When Control Becomes a Coping Mechanism

People who try to control everything often report symptoms like:

     — Chronic anxiety or hypervigilance
     — Difficulty trusting others
    — Rigidity in routines or relationships
    — Perfectionism and fear of failure
     — Emotional reactivity when things don’t go as planned
    — Shame or guilt for needing certainty

This isn’t weakness; it’s a survival strategy. For many, control was how they learned to cope in childhood environments that were unsafe, chaotic, or emotionally unavailable.

Control and Attachment: Why Relationships Feel So Hard

Controlling behaviors often emerge in relationships. You might find yourself trying to manage how others feel, behave, or respond to you. This dynamic is especially common in individuals with anxious or avoidant attachment styles. If emotional unpredictability was a norm in early relationships, the adult nervous system may interpret intimacy as inherently risky.

In romantic partnerships, this can lead to:

     — Codependency
    — Emotional caretaking
    — Jealousy or possessiveness
    — Fear of abandonment
    — Micromanaging your partner’s feelings or actions

The painful truth? These behaviors push people away, the very outcome you were trying to prevent.

Why Letting Go of Control Feels So Unsafe

For someone with a history of trauma or neglect, letting go of control isn’t just uncomfortable; it can feel life-threatening. Surrendering to uncertainty may trigger old memories of helplessness or emotional abandonment, even if you can’t consciously recall them.

From a neuroscience perspective, the amygdala, your brain’s fear center, becomes hypersensitive after trauma. It overreacts to ambiguous or neutral stimuli, interpreting them as dangerous. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for reasoning and decision-making, can become overwhelmed, making it hard to talk yourself down from anxious spirals (van der Kolk, 2014).

In short, your body is doing what it believes it needs to do to protect you even if the threat is no longer real.

The Path Forward: Building Safety in the Body

So, how do you stop relying on control as your safety net?

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, our trauma-informed therapists integrate Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, DBT, and attachment-based therapy to help clients build a felt sense of safety from the inside out.

Here’s how we help you shift the need for control into embodied confidence:

1. Nervous System Regulation

We teach you how to listen to your body’s cues and discharge stress through somatic tools. Breathing techniques, movement practices, and grounding exercises help bring your nervous system out of survival mode.

2. Rewiring Beliefs Through EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) helps identify and resolve the traumatic memories that fuel your control patterns. You’ll reprocess past events in a way that allows the body to complete the survival response and restore calm.

3. Emotionally Safe Relationships

We explore your relationship history and attachment style, so you can begin to trust, set boundaries, and co-regulate with others. Our therapists support you in building secure relational experiences that challenge the belief that you must go it alone.

4. Mindful Communication and Self-Inquiry

We help you become curious, not critical, about your behaviors. Why do I need control right now? What is my fear? What would I need to feel safe instead?

Real Safety Comes from Within

The paradox is that control does not create safety; it creates more fear. Real safety comes from building capacity in your nervous system to stay grounded in uncertainty. It’s not about forcing yourself to be calm; it’s about giving your body and mind the tools to feel anchored, regardless of circumstances.

Ready to Transform the Way You Relate to Control?

Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, trauma, relationship conflict, or intimacy issues, our team at Embodied Wellness and Recovery offers personalized, neuroscience-informed therapy to help you heal at the root.

We support individuals, couples, and families in Los Angeles, Nashville, and virtually. Through a holistic, integrative approach, we guide you out of survival mode and into a more spacious, connected, and embodied life.

Let’s Rewrite the Story

You don’t need to control everything to be okay. You need to feel safe in your own skin.

Reach out today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with a trauma-informed therapist at Embodied Wellness and Recovery. 

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, Self-Regulation. W.W. Norton & Company.

Schore, A. N. (2012). The Science of the Art of Psychotherapy. W.W. Norton & Company.

Van Der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.

Living in Overdrive: The Overlooked Link Between Trauma, ADHD, and Nervous System Dysregulation

What is the link between ADHD and chronic sympathetic nervous system activation? Learn how trauma stored in the body can mimic or amplify ADHD symptoms—and how somatic therapy offers hope for regulation and healing.

What Is the Connection Between ADHD and Excess Sympathetic Nervous System Arousal from a Trauma Response Stored in the Body?

Do you often feel constantly “on,” as if your body is revving in high gear—even when you’re exhausted?

Are you easily distracted, reactive, and struggling to sit still, even in moments of supposed rest?

Does your mind race, your body tense, and your sleep disrupted—despite attempts to calm down?

If you resonate with these experiences, you may be living with sympathetic nervous system overactivation—a chronic state of fight-or-flight. For many people diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), especially those with trauma histories, this nervous system dysregulation plays a central yet often overlooked role.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in treating trauma not just cognitively but somatically—understanding how the body stores trauma and how it can influence attention, emotional regulation, and relational safety. This blog will explore the neuroscience behind this phenomenon and offer compassionate, body-based solutions.

Understanding the Sympathetic Nervous System: Your Body’s Accelerator

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is part of your autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary bodily functions like heart rate, digestion, and respiration. When the SNS is activated, it prepares your body for survival—this is the fight-or-flight response:

     – Heart rate increases
     – Breathing becomes shallow
    – Muscles tense
     – Focus narrows on potential threats

This response is adaptive in acute danger. However,  when trauma is unresolved or chronic, the body can remain stuck in a state of sympathetic overdrive, even in the absence of present-day threats.

ADHD and Chronic Nervous System Dysregulation

ADHD is often described as a neurodevelopmental disorder involving challenges with attention, impulsivity, and executive function. But these symptoms don’t occur in a vacuum.

Emerging research reveals that many ADHD symptoms may intersect with trauma-related nervous system dysregulation—particularly sympathetic dominance. Here’s how:

     – Hyperactivity can reflect internal hyperarousal
     – Impulsivity may be a survival response (fight or flee)
    – Inattention can stem from mental exhaustion or dissociation
     – Emotional dysregulation often correlates with a nervous system stuck in high alert

In this light, what we label as ADHD may, for some, be a nervous system adaptation to early life stress, neglect, or trauma.

The Role of Stored Trauma in ADHD-like Symptoms

Trauma is not just a psychological experience—it lives in the body. According to Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, trauma reshapes both the brain and the body, altering how we respond to the world (van der Kolk, 2014).

When trauma is stored in the body, it creates chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Over time, this baseline of hypervigilance can resemble or exacerbate ADHD symptoms:

     – Difficulty sitting still (a body on alert)
     – Scattered attention (focus hijacked by perceived threat)
    – Interrupting or talking over others (survival-driven impulsivity)
     – Trouble sleeping (anxiety lodged in the nervous system)

It’s not that ADHD and trauma are the same, but in many cases, ADHD, like behaviors may reflect trauma responses embedded in the body’s physiology.

The Window of Tolerance: When Regulation Is Out of Reach

Trauma reduces our “window of tolerance”—the range of nervous system states within which we can function optimally. In ADHD and trauma, individuals may fluctuate between:

     – Hyperarousal (sympathetic state): anxiety, agitation, panic, anger
     – Hypoarousal (parasympathetic collapse): fatigue, freeze, disconnection

This leads to internal chaos that can look like classic ADHD but is, at its root, a nervous system attempting to protect you.

The ADHD–Trauma Overlap: Misdiagnosis and Missed Opportunities

This overlap raises essential questions:

      – What if ADHD isn’t just a brain-based disorder but also a trauma-informed adaptation?
     – Could somatic healing of the nervous system reduce or recalibrate ADHD symptoms?
      – Are we treating attention problems with stimulants when the underlying issue is unresolved trauma?

It’s crucial not to pathologize survival strategies. What may look like disorganization or distractibility might actually be your body doing its best to stay safe.

Hope and Healing Through Somatic and Trauma-Informed Therapy

The good news is that neuroplasticity—the brain and body’s ability to rewire—offers hope. At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we take a holistic approach to ADHD and trauma, integrating:

      – Somatic Experiencing: Gently releases stored trauma through body-based awareness and movement
     – Polyvagal-informed therapy: Builds nervous system regulation and expands the window of tolerance
     – EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Reprocesses traumatic memories that keep the nervous system stuck
      – Trauma-Sensitive Yoga & Breathwork: Helps the body downshift from sympathetic to parasympathetic states
    – Mindfulness and lifestyle interventions: Encourage slower pacing, grounding, and body trust

Healing isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about reconnecting with what’s always been wise within you.

Practical Tools to Soothe a Sympathetically Charged Nervous System

If you’re experiencing chronic stress, ADHD symptoms, or trauma responses, here are a few nervous system-friendly practices to begin with:

     – Walk more slowly throughout the day
    – Eat meals without distractions
     – Practice deep, diaphragmatic breathing
     – Spend time in nature daily
     – Limit digital stimulation
     – Hold a warm object (mug, heat pack) to signal safety to your body

Each small act of slowness tells your nervous system: You are safe now.

You’re Not Alone—and You’re Not “Too Much”

So many individuals, especially those with trauma histories, feel shame around their ADHD symptoms—believing they’re too scattered, too intense, and too emotional. But what if your body is simply doing its best to protect you?

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we see through the lens of compassion and neuroscience. You’re not defective. You’re a brilliant, adaptive human whose body has learned how to survive. And now—with the proper support—it can learn how to thrive.

If This Resonates…

If you’re wondering whether your ADHD symptoms might be linked to unresolved trauma or nervous system dysregulation, we invite you to reach out to schedule a free 20-minute consultation. Whether through 1:1 somatic therapy, EMDR intensives, or trauma-informed coaching, we’re here to support your healing.

You don’t have to live in overdrive. Let us help you restore balance, calm, and self-trust.

📍 Serving Los Angeles, Nashville, and clients nationwide (via telehealth)

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

Levine, P. A. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.