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Marissa: How the body holds stress. Somatic responses to to trauma.

Welcome to my blog series, where I will discuss therapy from a client's viewpoint. It's important to mention that, while my insights are drawn from extensive experience with clients from various backgrounds, all individuals, names, personas, businesses, locations, occurrences, and events depicted are entirely fictional. Any similarity to real-life individuals, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental.



Marissa's back felt like it was in a knot. It ached constantly, and nothing seemed to relieve it. She had gone to a chiropractor, who had listened to her narrate the last few years of her life. "Honestly", Marissa sighed "I just want the world to stop for a second. I cant seem to catch a break". Five years ago Marissa's first child was stillborn. She fell pregnant again and experienced a traumatic birth, with her and her baby spending time in hospital. Her baby had a number of health concerns, and sleep felt pretty non-existent for the first few years. Just as things seemed to get better, Covid emerged, leading Marissa into isolation, and separating her from her family who she relied on for support. "I was working from home with a small child. It was awful looking back on it, but I just ploughed through. What else was I supposed to do?". Last year her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and Marissa cared for her. When her mother passed away "It felt like a huge gap in my life, she was my best friend". Marissa's back pain started shortly after, and she had been terrified that it was cancer. Her doctor reassured her, but the pain continued.


When we think of trauma, we often notice its emotional and psychological impacts. But trauma doesn’t just live in the mind—it can affect the body as well. This phenomenon is known as a ‘somatic response,’ where trauma is stored and expressed through physical sensations. These responses can be unconscious, so we don’t always realize how trauma is showing up in our bodies. This can be linked to the flight, fight or freeze response. If a trauma isn't fully processed, the body can remain stuck in this mode, which leads to chronic stress and potentially physical symptoms. People can experience muscle tension, chronic pain, breathing issues, digestive problems, fatigue and a lack of energy, to name but a few.


"After I lost my baby, I just didn't know what to do, think or say. There was nothing I could do, think or say, so I just pushed on", Marissa said at her first appointment. "Then I got pregnant again and I was so scared it would happen again. When it all went terribly wrong at birth, I really thought I would loose her too. But when my daughter was born, she was just so sweet and fragile and needing my love, I figured I could just put it all behind me". Trauma memories are often stored in the non-verbal parts of the brain, which means we might not be aware of them. However, the body remembers, as it is stuck in survival mode, and can show us through physical sensations or reactions.


Trauma can be addressed through various therapies, with EMDR and CBT having an excellent evidence base. Marissa chose to use EMDR to process the trauma her brain and body was holding on to, giving herself another chance to process the trauma so that the past no longer impacted on her present. When we suspect trauma is stored in the body, healing might requires more than one approach. This can include breathing exercises, body scans, and movement. Marissa chose to also attend yoga classes with Chloe Dove Physio, utilising yoga alongside talking therapies to help release stored trauma and calm the nervous system. Over time her back pain reduced, and she noticed she had more energy, felt less anxious, and was able to consider falling pregnant again without overwhelming emotions getting in the way.


Experiencing physical symptoms following a trauma does not mean there is anything wrong with you - physical symptoms can be normal responses to overwhelming stress. By paying attention to how emotions might show up in your body, you can take steps towards healing and feeling more at easy in your life. If you are noticing that your body is carrying the weight of past trauma, please do reach out for support. And if you are a book reader, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk is an excellent and well researched book illustrating how our bodies can keep us trapped in the past with wordless emotions and feelings.


Please note that Marissa's story is entirely fictional, inspired by my years of working with adolescents and adults. The information about mental health, psychological therapy, and recovery from trauma is entirely based on current evidence-based knowledge and guidelines. Images are created using AI. If you would like more information or support please contact myself or any of the organisations listed on the Contact tab.

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