by: Laura West

“I Just Felt Nothing”: Understanding Numbness After Childhood Trauma If you’ve ever said, “I should feel something, but I just don’t,” you’re not alone. For many survivors of childhood abuse, emotional numbness becomes a way of life. Not because you’re cold. Not because you’re broken. But because, at one point, feeling too much could have crushed you. Let’s say this clearly and un-apologetically: Numbness is not weakness. It was a survival skill. You didn’t choose to shut down. Your brain chose it for you—to keep you safe.

by: Laura West

If you’ve ever wondered why you overreact, shut down, or can’t “just relax,” you’re not alone. And more importantly: you’re not broken. Your nervous system has been trained to protect you—sometimes at the cost of your peace. But here’s the twist: it’s not malfunctioning. It’s over-functioning based on what it learned in the past.

by: Laura West

You’ve cleared the chaos. You’ve distanced yourself from the drama. You’re finally safe. So why does your body still feel tense? Why can’t you just relax? If you’ve asked yourself this, you’re not broken. You’re not ungrateful. You’re experiencing a trauma-based response known as “safety anxiety.”

by: Laura West

If your mind goes blank during arguments… If your heart races but your words disappear… If you shut down and later replay the conversation, wishing you had spoken up… You’re not broken. You’re having a trauma response.