Is Anxiety a Trauma Response? What You Should Know
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.
Anxiety Isn’t All in Your Head — It Lives in the Body, Too: Therapy for Women in ORegon
If you’ve ever been told to “just think positive” or “calm down,” you know how frustrating and isolating anxiety can feel. Maybe you’ve tried deep breaths, mantras, or mindset work—and it helped, but only a little. The truth is, anxiety isn’t just in your mind. It’s in your nervous system. It lives in your body.
Anxiety is often a survival response—not a personal flaw. It can show up as racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, looping worries, or a constant feeling of being “on alert.” But it can also appear as muscle tension, digestive issues, chronic fatigue, or a tight chest. These are all ways your body tries to protect you from danger, even when there’s no clear threat.
Burnout and the ADHD Brain: Why So Many Women Are Exhausted
There’s a specific kind of burnout that lives in the bodies of women with ADHD. It’s not just mental fatigue. It’s nervous system depletion. It’s a full-body no after years of masking, overfunctioning, and trying to keep up in a world that doesn’t see the effort behind your every move.
You might be the one everyone counts on. The one who remembers the details, carries the emotional labor, keeps the plates spinning. You’re praised for your sensitivity, intuition, or brilliance, but underneath all of that there’s a quiet overwhelm no one else sees.
how to set boundaries for self care and healthy relationships
When you set a boundary, you are not closing a door to connection. You are opening a door to deeper, more authentic relationships—with others and with yourself. You are saying, “My needs matter too,” and that is an act of self-love.