When most people think of trauma, they picture painful memories or flashbacks. But trauma isn’t only stored in the mind, it also lives in the body. Survivors often carry chronic tension, pain, or fatigue that lingers long after the traumatic event has passed. Modern neuroscience and somatic psychology confirm what many already feel: trauma is stored in the body as well as the brain.
Understanding this connection sheds light on why survivors may experience physical symptoms such as digestive issues, headaches, or chronic stress, and why effective trauma healing often requires addressing both the mind and the body.
1. Trauma and the Nervous System
Trauma has a profound effect on the nervous system. During a traumatic event, the body activates its survival responses: fight, flight, or freeze. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol surge through the body to prepare for danger.
If the trauma isn’t fully processed, the nervous system can remain stuck in survival mode. This creates chronic hyperarousal (always on edge, anxious, hypervigilant) or hypoarousal (numbness, exhaustion, dissociation).
As trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains, “The body keeps the score: trauma is remembered not only by the mind but by the body itself” (van der Kolk, 2014).
2. Trauma Stored in Muscles and Tension
One of the most common ways trauma is stored in the body is through muscle tension. Survivors often unconsciously brace themselves as if danger is still present, clenching the jaw, tightening the shoulders, or holding the breath.
Peter Levine, founder of Somatic Experiencing, describes how unresolved trauma leaves the body “trapped in defensive postures,” keeping survival responses locked in long after the threat has ended (Levine, 1997). This is why body memory trauma can feel like a constant, lingering physical weight.
3. The Brain-Body Connection in Trauma
The mind-body connection plays a major role in trauma storage. Key brain regions respond differently during trauma:
The amygdala (fear center) stays highly active.
The hippocampus (memory system) struggles to place the event in time, making it feel ongoing.
The prefrontal cortex (reasoning) often goes offline.
Meanwhile, the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the body’s organs, sends signals that reinforce patterns of fear, shutdown, or dissociation. This explains why survivors often report somatic trauma symptoms like chest tightness, stomach problems, or chronic pain (Porges, 2011).
4. Implicit Memory and Body Memory Trauma
Not all trauma is remembered consciously. Many experiences are stored as implicit memory, meaning the body “remembers” through sensations, reflexes, and emotions rather than words or images.
This explains why a survivor might experience a racing heart, nausea, or trembling when exposed to a reminder of the trauma, even if they don’t recall the event itself (van der Kolk, 2014).
5. Healing Trauma Stored in the Body
Because trauma is stored in both the brain and body, healing often requires somatic and body-based approaches alongside talk therapy. Research shows that these methods can help release trauma stored in muscles and regulate the nervous system (van der Kolk et al., 2014).
Some effective therapies include:
- Somatic Experiencing (SE): Helps the body complete its unfinished survival responses and release stored energy.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Connects body sensations and memory processing to integrate traumatic experiences.
- Trauma-Sensitive Yoga: Uses movement and breath to restore safety and agency in the body.
- Polyvagal-Informed Therapy: Works with the nervous system to improve regulation and resilience.
Trauma isn’t just “in your head.” It is stored in your nervous system, muscles, and body memory. Survivors often carry its imprint physically, long after the traumatic event. But healing is possible. Through therapies that address both the mind and body, it is possible to release stored trauma, regulate the nervous system, and restore a sense of safety, strength, and vitality.
References
- Levine, Peter A. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books, 1997.
- Porges, Stephen W. The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton, 2011.
- van der Kolk, Bessel A. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking, 2014.
- van der Kolk, Bessel A., et al. “Yoga as an Adjunctive Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, vol. 75, no. 6, 2014, pp. e559–65. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.13m08561
