Is Anxiety a Trauma Response? What You Should Know
Many of my clients have been surprised by the following idea: If you’ve tried everything and still feel anxious, it might not be you—it might be your nervous system doing its best to try to keep you safe.
Many of my clients come to me exhausted. Not because they’re falling apart, but because they’re done pretending they’re fine.
They’ve already done some therapy. They’ve read the books. They can name their patterns. But something still feels stuck. Underneath the surface, there’s a constant hum of worry, pressure, tightness. That quiet panic that never really goes away.
And most of them carry a secret fear: What if I’m just too sensitive? What if this is just who I am? What I’m just broken?
Here’s the truth: if you feel anxious all the time- especially in relationships, in groups, when resting, or when you're alone- it’s not a flaw in your personality. It might be a trauma response. And that means there’s nothing wrong with you. It means your body has been working overtime to protect you.
What Is Trauma-Based Anxiety?
Anxiety is often described as a mental health issue. But when we work through a trauma lens, we see it differently. We understand that anxiety can be the result of a nervous system stuck in survival mode- especially when someone had to stay alert for others’ moods, emotions, or reactions growing up.
Trauma-based anxiety isn’t always about what happened. It’s about what didn’t get to complete. It’s about the body holding on to unfinished stress cycles. It’s about never feeling safe enough to fully let go, soften, or rest.
Think about it like this:
If your body learned that connection wasn’t always safe…
If you were praised for being quiet, easy, or high-achieving, but punished (even subtly) for needing too much…
If you learned to scan the room for cues, to avoid conflict, or to anticipate other people’s feelings before they voiced them…
Then your anxiety isn’t random. It’s adaptive. It’s intelligence.
But now, it’s also exhausting.
Photo by Pradeep Ranjan via Unsplash
Signs Your Anxiety Is a Trauma Response
If you’re wondering whether trauma might be part of your anxiety story, here are some common signs I see in my clients:
You feel anxiety in your chest or stomach, not just your thoughts
You feel unsafe when people are mad—even when they’re not mad at you
You struggle with boundaries or saying no
You dread rest, slowness, or stillness
You overthink what you said or how others perceived you
You fawn or freeze in conflict situations
You feel like a burden when you express needs or emotions
You’re stuck in burnout cycles: go-go-go → crash → shame → repeat
These are not just habits. They are nervous system patterns, often wired in during developmental years when you were doing your best to stay connected and safe.
Why Traditional Anxiety Coping Strategies Often Don’t Work
Deep breath. This part’s important.
If you’ve tried mindfulness, cognitive strategies, or affirmations and they sort of helped—but not in a lasting way—it’s not your fault.
Those tools can be helpful, but they don’t always reach the root.
When anxiety is trauma-based, you need approaches that help your body feel safe from the inside out. You need to help your nervous system unlearn that hypervigilance is the only option.
That’s where trauma-informed, somatic therapy comes in.
What Healing Can Look Like
In my practice, I specialize in working with sensitive, creative, high-functioning women and neurodivergent folks who feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, burnout, and over-responsibility. Many are therapists, healers, helpers, and cycle breakers who’ve spent their lives tending to others—and are now ready to come home to themselves.
Together, we work with the body—not against it.
We don’t force regulation. We build it, in your own time, with trust.
We use tools like EMDR, Brainspotting, somatic resourcing, and IFS informed parts work to gently rewire what your system has carried alone for far too long.
You don’t have to tell your story over and over.
You don’t have to dig up everything all at once.
You do need a space where your sensitivity isn’t seen as pathology—but as a doorway into healing.
FAQ
Is anxiety always a trauma response?
Not always. Sometimes anxiety is temporary, stress related, or related to specific situations, or can even be connected to other physiological sources. But if it’s chronic, relational, or accompanied by freeze, shutdown, or people-pleasing, it’s possible that it’s rooted in developmental or relational trauma.
Can somatic therapy help with anxiety?
Yes. Somatic therapy helps regulate the nervous system by working with the body’s stored stress responses—not just cognitive insight. If you’ve ever been in a talk therapy session, and you kept having the thought, “yes, this is true, but what do I DO with this information?” then somatic therapy may be a great fit for you.
How do I know if this kind of therapy is right for me?
If you’re exhausted from over-functioning, feel like you “should be fine,” or have done talk therapy but still feel stuck—this kind of work might be the next right step.
I offer somatic, trauma-informed therapy and consulting for sensitive women and femme cycle breakers who are ready to realign with their rhythm, reclaim sacred embodiment, and live in alignment with who they truly are.
✨ You’re invited to book a session, subscribe at the bottom of this page to stay up to date on other offerings, or join the Sacred Becoming community on Substack for reflections, resources, and ritual support.
ways to work with me:
Online counseling and EMDR/Brainspotting for clients located in Bend, Oregon and the state of Oregon. Click here to schedule a free consultation.
Read more about sacred self therapy here or you’d like to read more about how anxiety can show up in the body, click here.
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