When Processing Trauma, there is likely Activation under your Freeze

Freeze is deceiving…

Because we feel "exhausted" when we're in it, like we're even shutting down. However, freeze is like when a car has the accelerator and brake slammed at the same time. The goal is to slowly release the brake so that the accelerator (activation) can then be released. This is how we can begin processing our trauma.

It's always rewarding to see the lightbulb moments my clients in freeze have when they're able to step into their first experience of regulation where that "exhausted" freeze state dissipates and the rage, anger, shame, fear, etc. comes to the surface.

For years I woke up every morning thinking I got awful sleep, when in reality, I was just slogging through my days in freeze because my body couldn't imagine feeling the rage and terror underneath it all.

It wasn't until I was able to nurture safety for my nervous system that I was able to start processing my trauma. My freeze began to "thaw" and I could build the capacity to mobilize the stuck activation energies of rage and terror from my birth trauma. I nurtured that safety with some lifestyle changes and SE approaches that basically told my lizard brain, "Hey, it's okay, our life isn't in danger right now. We can be here and we can let go."

It's a slow and steady process that can feel unbearable at times, but hang in there and nurture that self-support. There are many success stories out there. Those, as well as a solid somatic practitioner, helped me a lot when I was in the thick of it.