Learn4 min
Abuse and the nervous system
Living in survival mode, and what that costs the body.
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When threat is ongoing and unpredictable, the nervous system stays braced. That can show up as hypervigilance, poor sleep, digestive problems, startle responses, exhaustion, numbness, or difficulty concentrating — the body doing exactly what it should under sustained stress.
These responses can continue for a long time after the relationship ends. That is not a sign that you are broken or that you have failed to move on; a body that learned to expect danger needs repeated evidence of safety before it settles.
Understanding your own capacity for calm can help make sense of these responses.
Open Window of Tolerance →