It’s Not “Psychological Trauma,” it’s Trauma

The term “psychological trauma” is often used, but it overlooks the neurophysiological reality of what happens during trauma. It is more accurately described as nervous system dysregulation, in which trauma overwhelms the nervous system, throwing it out of balance and impacting the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis.

Trauma is not just in the mind or emotions; it’s deeply rooted in the body’s response, particularly in how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) reacts to stressors. The dysregulation can manifest as chronic hyperarousal (like anxiety, hypervigilance) or hypoarousal (like dissociation, numbness), both of which are rooted in the physiological impact of traumatic stress.

This understanding aligns perfectly with your perspective that recovery isn’t about managing “psychological” symptoms, but about regulating the nervous system and restoring its capacity for balance (homeostasis), which is foundational to true health and well-being.

“Psychological trauma” oversimplifies and separates the mind from the body, while nervous system dysregulation captures the full-body experience of trauma and its impacts on everything from emotional states to physical health.

This post includes content generated by ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI. The AI-generated content has been reviewed and edited for accuracy and relevance.

About Shay Seaborne, CPTSD

Shay Seaborne CPTSD teaches Relational Neuroscience for stress reduction, trauma recovery, and community building. Shay has studied the neurobiology of fear / trauma /PTSD since 2014 and Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) since 2019. They write, speak, teach, and make art to convey their experiences as well as their understanding of the neurobiology of fear, trauma theory, Interpersonal Neurobiology concepts, and principles of trauma recovery. A native of Northern Virginia, Shay settled in Delaware to sail KALMAR NYCKEL, the state’s tall ship. But once they finally had mental health insurance, their life rapidly changed. The standard treatment for PTSD nearly killed them. The psychiatric abuse began a cascade of negative medical encounters that repeatedly caused additional harm and the development of severe Medical PTSD. Shay wishes everyone could recognize that "mental health problems" are symptoms of dysregulation, our mainstream culture is neuro-negative, and we can heal ourselves and each other through awareness, understanding, and safe connection.

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