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#126 PTSD Dissociation: What’s Really Happening in Your Brain
Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
In today’s Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching session, Brad breaks down one of the most confusing PTSD symptoms: dissociation. Many trauma survivors feel like triggers come “out of nowhere” — they zone out, disconnect, or lose awareness before they even realize something happened.
Brad explains what’s actually happening in the brain during a trigger, why your survival system reacts as if you’re facing real danger, and how dissociation is not a malfunction — it’s protection. Using the “dinosaur brain” metaphor, he shows how the nervous system prioritizes survival over awareness, logic, and memory.
Most importantly, this episode becomes a practical workshop on how to reverse-engineer dissociation. Brad walks through step-by-step awareness exercises to help you identify hidden triggers by working backward from the moment you “snap back” into reality. Over time, this builds the awareness needed to catch triggers earlier and regain control.
If dissociation feels invisible, random, or impossible to understand — this episode gives you a roadmap.
💡 What You’ll Learn
Why dissociation is a protection response, not a failure
What your brain is doing during a PTSD trigger
The “dinosaur brain” survival system explained simply
Why logic shuts down during perceived danger
How to track triggers you didn’t consciously notice
A journaling method to reverse-engineer dissociation
How to build awareness in the moments before a trigger
Why fighting your brain makes triggers stronger
How to work with your nervous system instead of against it
🧠 Key Takeaway
Your brain isn’t broken — it’s protecting you. Awareness is the bridge that turns dissociation from mystery into something you can work with.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:10 Today's Topic: Triggers and Dissociation
01:37 Community Engagement and Announcements
02:50 Understanding Triggers and Dissociation
05:08 The Brain's Response to Danger
08:39 Identifying and Managing Triggers
22:16 Understanding Dissociation and Triggers
23:22 Identifying the Trigger Points
24:43 Journaling to Build Awareness
25:23 Working Backwards to Find the Cause
25:58 Approaching from a Different Angle
26:44 Building Awareness and Gathering Data
29:55 Managing Triggers in Real-Time
34:16 The Lazy River vs. The Rapids Analogy
36:22 Finding Moments of Relief
38:50 Strengthening Your Control Muscle
43:21 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Sessions
Topics Covered:
PTSD triggers • dissociation • trauma brain • survival response • nervous system regulation • awareness training • emotional triggers • trauma protection mechanisms • PTSD recovery tools • grounding and presence • reverse engineering triggers • journaling for healing • dinosaur brain metaphor • trauma education • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
View all episodes
By Overcoming PTSD
4.1
5050 ratings
Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
In today’s Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching session, Brad breaks down one of the most confusing PTSD symptoms: dissociation. Many trauma survivors feel like triggers come “out of nowhere” — they zone out, disconnect, or lose awareness before they even realize something happened.
Brad explains what’s actually happening in the brain during a trigger, why your survival system reacts as if you’re facing real danger, and how dissociation is not a malfunction — it’s protection. Using the “dinosaur brain” metaphor, he shows how the nervous system prioritizes survival over awareness, logic, and memory.
Most importantly, this episode becomes a practical workshop on how to reverse-engineer dissociation. Brad walks through step-by-step awareness exercises to help you identify hidden triggers by working backward from the moment you “snap back” into reality. Over time, this builds the awareness needed to catch triggers earlier and regain control.
If dissociation feels invisible, random, or impossible to understand — this episode gives you a roadmap.
💡 What You’ll Learn
Why dissociation is a protection response, not a failure
What your brain is doing during a PTSD trigger
The “dinosaur brain” survival system explained simply
Why logic shuts down during perceived danger
How to track triggers you didn’t consciously notice
A journaling method to reverse-engineer dissociation
How to build awareness in the moments before a trigger
Why fighting your brain makes triggers stronger
How to work with your nervous system instead of against it
🧠 Key Takeaway
Your brain isn’t broken — it’s protecting you. Awareness is the bridge that turns dissociation from mystery into something you can work with.
🔗 Next Steps
Subscribe for new weekday episodes from the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive.
To go deeper or work with Brad directly, visit: https://www.skool.com/brokentounbreakable
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:10 Today's Topic: Triggers and Dissociation
01:37 Community Engagement and Announcements
02:50 Understanding Triggers and Dissociation
05:08 The Brain's Response to Danger
08:39 Identifying and Managing Triggers
22:16 Understanding Dissociation and Triggers
23:22 Identifying the Trigger Points
24:43 Journaling to Build Awareness
25:23 Working Backwards to Find the Cause
25:58 Approaching from a Different Angle
26:44 Building Awareness and Gathering Data
29:55 Managing Triggers in Real-Time
34:16 The Lazy River vs. The Rapids Analogy
36:22 Finding Moments of Relief
38:50 Strengthening Your Control Muscle
43:21 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Sessions
Topics Covered:
PTSD triggers • dissociation • trauma brain • survival response • nervous system regulation • awareness training • emotional triggers • trauma protection mechanisms • PTSD recovery tools • grounding and presence • reverse engineering triggers • journaling for healing • dinosaur brain metaphor • trauma education • Overcoming PTSD Podcast • Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
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