If you've done the work, learned the tools, and still feel like you're white knuckling through every single day, this episode is for you.

For many people with complex PTSD and developmental trauma, calm isn't somewhere familiar to return to. It's something that has to be built, maybe for the first time. And that changes everything about how healing needs to look.

This episode breaks down three concepts from developmental trauma research that explain why nervous system regulation can feel so darn hard, and why that has nothing to do with how hard you're trying.

Foundational dysregulation. Blended autonomic states. Defensive accommodations.

These are the missing pieces that explain why you can feel wired and exhausted at the same time, why your coping strategies became your personality, and why the standard regulation tools keep hitting a wall.

This episode draws on the work of Peter Levine and clinical literature on the side effects of developmental trauma.

You are absolutely not broken. There is a real reason you feel the way you do.

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Follow on TikTok: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.