Why I Bristle at Bad Ideas
In today’s post, I want to push back on some common trauma healing myths—especially the idea that trauma is a kind of toxin ‘stored’ in the bodyAs a therapist and teacher, I live with a daily tension: letting shaky ideas pass or calling them out. Vague claims wrapped in soothing language may sound harmless, but they shape how people understand themselves. And when the ideas are flimsy, the cost is real.
The Problem With “Stored Trauma”
In therapy circles, I often hear talk of trauma being “stored” or “trapped” in the body. These metaphors feel powerful because they give shape to a confusing inner world. I get that. But they send a dangerous message: that trauma is a kind of residue that clings to you until an expert scrapes it off.
Polyvagal theory gives us a far better explanation. Our nervous system adapts to cues of danger. What we label as “trauma responses” are actually survival strategies the body learned and repeated—even if the danger is long gone.
A Real-Life Example
Picture a 28-year-old woman in her first argument with a new partner. He raises his voice; she shuts down. That shutdown isn’t mysterious. It’s a freeze response. Her body recognizes raised voices as danger because years earlier, her father’s yelling made home unsafe. Back then, going still protected her. Today, the nervous system is recycling that move—even though the context has changed.
Why the Language Matters
Telling people they have trauma “stuck inside” doesn’t just simplify science—it risks moral injury. It implies they are dirty, defective, or in need of cleansing. I’ve seen clients raised in shame-based religious systems make this exact connection. The clinical language echoes old doctrines of being “born sinful” or “stained.” Different costume, same storyline: you are unclean inside.
The Parallels With Eating Disorders
People with eating disorders often describe fat not as nutrition but as contamination. The goal becomes purging. Wellness influencers push the same script with juice cleanses and elimination diets. Now, trauma discourse is feeding into that obsession—“detox your body of trauma.” The belief underneath doesn’t change: I am yucky.
The Alternative View
But here’s the truth: You are not polluted. You don’t need to be purged. Your nervous system is not a haunted house—it’s a guard dog trying to protect you. Sometimes it overreacts, sometimes it needs retraining, but it is not broken.
Healing means updating its strategies, not scraping out hidden toxins. It means respecting your biology while preserving your dignity.
Why I Keep Pushing Back
I stay skeptical because language shapes people’s sense of self. If metaphors mislead, they can harm. We need words that honor what the body has learned without branding people as damaged goods.
Truth is not the opposite of compassion. Truth is the thing that makes compassion trustworthy.
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