Trauma and the body

Chronic fear often originates from early life experiences and leads to a persistent stress state that impairs feeling safety and love, so addressing this...

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People with insecure attachment and chronic relational fear.

Sourced from the doctors, PhDs and clinicians behind Entrain. Updated

The strongest voice

“Chronic fear often originates from early life experiences and leads to a persistent stress state that impairs feeling safety and love, so addressing this requires acknowledging the body's role and reducing unnecessary existential threats like excessive news and social media exposure.”

a biologist and former Kinsey Institute executive director specializing in oxytocin research · source video

In their own words

One faithful sentence per source, linked to the moment it was said; quiet chips mark where money is involved.

a biologist and former Kinsey Institute executive director specializing in oxytocin research recommend
“Chronic fear often originates from early life experiences and leads to a persistent stress state that impairs feeling safety and love, so addressing this requires acknowledging the body's role and reducing unnecessary existential threats like excessive news and social media exposure.”

a biologist and former Kinsey Institute executive director specializing in oxytocin research · source video

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license recommend
“Dr Phil emphasizes the importance of affirming one's purpose and unique light to overcome fear and trauma.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · Instagram

a licensed mental health counselor recommend
“Healing requires feeling emotions we may want to avoid, but with safe people and environments, it gets better on the other side.”

a licensed mental health counselor · Instagram

a licensed mental health counselor recommend
“Attachment lives in the body and understanding this connection is important to feel secure with oneself and others, as explored in the book SAFE.”

a licensed mental health counselor · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Acknowledging that the person who caused harm in their sleep is not at fault and deciding to be on the same team to figure out a path to healing is essential for recovery.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“If you’ve never sat down and walked through those old wounds with somebody safe, it might be time because sometimes your body is carrying something your mind has learned to live with.”

a mental health counselor and author · Instagram

the founder of ManTalks against
“Suppressing emotions by holding them inside the body causes physical pain and sickness rather than healthy emotional processing.”

the founder of ManTalks · Instagram

the founder of ManTalks against
“Suppressing emotions by holding them inside the body causes physical pain and sickness, indicating it is unhealthy to swallow emotions.”

the founder of ManTalks · Instagram

the founder of ManTalks against
“Holding in feelings and not letting them out causes physical pain and sickness, indicating it is unhealthy to suppress emotions.”

the founder of ManTalks · Instagram

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“The key to healing is understanding why coping mechanisms exist and how they interrupt attachment and the ability to develop security and trust in relationships and one's own body.”

the founder of ManTalks · Instagram

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“If you have a history of sexual trauma and a loss of sexual desire, sitting down with a trauma-informed professional to walk through those old wounds is a hard but worthwhile healing process.”

a mental health counselor and author · TikTok

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology recommend
“Voluntarily bringing up haunting memories to consciously analyze what has changed and develop a plan for future similar situations is necessary to resolve the unconscious alarm and reduce stress reactions.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · TikTok

a human connection specialist recommend
“To heal avoidant attachment rooted in unmet childhood needs, one must bravely choose to reach out despite fear, as this is the only way to invite reciprocal connection.”

a human connection specialist · TikTok

a human connection specialist recommend
“Healing is not about getting rid of triggers but changing how we respond to them by exploring the feelings they bring up and using that information to protect ourselves and maintain connection.”

a human connection specialist · TikTok

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license recommend
“Understanding why a person clings to possessions is essential to addressing hoarding, as it is not about the stuff but about controlling anxiety and emotional needs.”

a media host and psychologist with a lapsed clinical license · source video

a certified relationship coach recommend
“Healing involves recognizing that others' harmful actions are about their survival mode and capacity, not about your value, which helps stop blaming yourself and frees you emotionally.”

a certified relationship coach · source video

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“It is okay to be sad, angry, short-tempered, and to cry when facing grief; honoring these feelings is necessary to avoid shadows casting over your entire life.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Healing from trauma and rebuilding trust takes time and requires patience from both partners.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Therapy is a helpful tool to unpack grief and trauma from family rejection and to develop coping strategies.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Anxiety about divorce or relationship fears often stem from childhood trauma and require trauma work, body work, and sometimes medication to heal and improve relationships.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Identify specific triggers, understand that triggers are your body's way of protecting you, and work on healing by accepting you were unsafe then but are safe now, sometimes with therapy.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a mental health counselor and author recommend
“Effective trauma healing requires working with a good trauma therapist and may involve modalities like EMDR, though EMDR works for some and not others; persistence and trying different approaches is important.”

a mental health counselor and author · source video sponsored

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist recommend
“Long-term psychotherapy can be necessary and healing for patients with complex trauma and deep disconnection, as seen in the eight-year therapeutic relationship described.”

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist · source video

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist against
“CBT was initially considered but found inappropriate for the patient's deep and complex needs, indicating CBT may be insufficient for such cases.”

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist · source video

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist neutral
“Dissociation may serve as a coping mechanism for severe childhood trauma, but its classification as meditation or pathological dissociation remains unclear.”

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist · source video

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist strong recommend
“Embodiment is absolutely primordial and essential to all cognition and existential modes of being, serving as the vehicle by which we participate in being and access the world.”

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist · source video

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist recommend
“Embodiment is crucial for cognition because procedural knowing depends on sensory-motor interaction with the world, which current AI systems lack and which limits their intelligence.”

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist · source video

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist recommend
“Working through relational ruptures involves shifting from detailed factual memory to a more impressionistic, creative, and poetic form of memory that allows integration and transformation of the relationship experience.”

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist · source video

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist recommend
“Healing past trauma restores connection with inner wisdom and self-trust, which is essential for developing a genuine relationship with Source or spiritual consciousness.”

a University of Toronto cognitive scientist · source video

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology recommend
“Therapy that addresses childhood trauma and sexual abuse directly, rather than focusing solely on gender identity, can lead to significant improvement in depression and anxiety.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · source video

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology conditional
“The metaphysical gulf between physical and non-physical realities complicates epistemology and must be bridged to understand the mind scientifically.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · source video

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology conditional
“Self-blame, even when inappropriate given true circumstances, can serve as a coping mechanism by providing a sense of control and reducing the perception of randomness in suffering, though it can lead to further external blame.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · source video

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology recommend
“After trauma, people often rebuild their assumptions about the world toward more positive but realistic views, becoming sadder but wiser rather than returning to naive beliefs.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“The vagus nerve perceives safety through senses, interoception, and neurosception; children with complex trauma sense parental stress and danger even without overt abuse, impacting their nervous system development.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Allowing clients to connect with and express grief and unresolved emotions about significant losses can facilitate healing and self-forgiveness.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video sponsored

the founder of ManTalks against
“Your body is the foundation for your mind; a healthy relationship with your body is essential for confidence, leadership, and mental processing.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks conditional
“Numbing out often happens because people feel too much and have not been taught how to feel their feelings or were discouraged from expressing certain emotions.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“To stop numbing out, identify and reduce behaviors and substances used to numb, recognize numbness as a feeling, write about physical sensations of numbness, use breath to reconnect to the body, and focus on physical sensations to feel emotions.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Keeping secrets, especially about trauma, traps individuals and causes physical and emotional harm; expressing these secrets leads to liberation and healing.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

the founder of ManTalks recommend
“Exploring how different family environments felt somatically can help access memories and experiences that are not clear visually or verbally but are stored in the body.”

the founder of ManTalks · source video

Worth discussing with your GP, especially if you take medication or are pregnant. Entrain describes what is publicly taught; it does not prescribe.

Journaling and self-authoring

If you have a good idea, write it down because it is a gift that could change your whole life and forgetting it could prevent progress.

Strong consensus

“If you have a good idea, write it down because it is a gift that could change your whole life and forgetting it could prevent progress.”

a clinical psychologist and Professor Emeritus of psychology · TikTok

Metabolic psychiatry and brain energy theory

Mental illnesses are symptoms of metabolic dysfunction affecting the whole body and brain, not just isolated brain problems.

Strong consensus

“Mental illnesses are symptoms of metabolic dysfunction affecting the whole body and brain, not just isolated brain problems.”

a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist specializing in metabolic psychiatry · Instagram

EMDR and trauma processing

He discusses new ways to treat anxiety, OCD, and PTSD by focusing on brain metabolic health rather than only symptoms.

Strong consensus

“He discusses new ways to treat anxiety, OCD, and PTSD by focusing on brain metabolic health rather than only symptoms.”

a Harvard Medical School psychiatrist specializing in metabolic psychiatry · Instagram