When Trauma Takes a Toll on the Body
Being diagnosed with CPTSD doesn’t just mean you’re dealing with the emotional or psychological aftermath of trauma. For most of us, it also means our bodies have been living in survival mode for far too long, and eventually, that takes a toll.
It’s one of the least talked-about parts of trauma recovery: the way your body keeps the score long after the danger has passed.
The Body Remembers What the Mind Tries to Forget
When you grow up or spend years living in survival mode, your body adjusts to it like it’s the new normal. Cortisol, that lovely little stress hormone, hangs around way longer than it should, keeping you wired, tense, and ready to react to… well, everything. Even when things are calm, your nervous system doesn’t quite buy it. It’s still on patrol, scanning for the next threat, just in case. And after a while, that constant state of high alert starts to wear you down. It burns through your energy, messes with your hormones, and starts showing up in your body as fatigue, tension, pain, or random mystery symptoms your doctor can’t quite pin down.
For many, it’s not just anxiety or hypervigilance. It’s the exhaustion that hits out of nowhere. It’s the headaches, the muscle pain, and the stomach issues that doctors can’t quite explain. And no, it’s not “all in your head.” It’s in your nervous system.
For me, that reaction eventually showed up as heart arrhythmia, irregular heartbeats that would come and go without warning.
At first, I thought something was seriously wrong with my heart (and to be clear, it’s always worth getting checked). But what I learned over time is that chronic trauma can literally rewire your nervous system. Your heart, your breathing, and your digestion all get caught in the loop of hypervigilance. My arrhythmia became one of the many ways my body said, “Hey, I’ve been holding on too long.”
Common Physical Symptoms of CPTSD
CPTSD can affect nearly every system in your body. Some of the most common physical symptoms include:
Chronic fatigue or burnout – that bone-deep tiredness that doesn’t go away, even after a solid night’s sleep.
Digestive issues – things like IBS, bloating, or nausea, all thanks to your gut and brain being in constant stress-mode.
Muscle tension and pain – usually hanging out in your shoulders, neck, and jaw, making you feel like you’re carrying the world on your back.
Migraines or headaches – Stress can trigger them, but sometimes they stick around for periods at a time.
Autoimmune flare-ups – sometimes, all that long-term stress can throw your immune system completely out of whack.
Sleep problems – Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or feeling rested at all.
When you’ve lived most of your life in fight, flight, or freeze, your body forgets what “safe” even feels like. For a detailed, professional overview of CPTSD, including both the emotional and physical effects, the Cleveland Clinic has a really helpful guide.
Healing Means Teaching Your Body What Safe Feels Like
Working through CPTSD isn’t just about untangling emotions, your body needs its own kind of rehab. You have to show your nervous system what calm actually feels like, which can take some patience.
How you do that looks different for everyone. For some, it’s somatic therapy, yoga, or EMDR. For others, it’s breathwork, grounding exercises, or just learning how to rest without feeling guilty. Even tiny things, like slowing your breathing, taking a short walk, or really noticing what your body’s telling you, can help you slowly rebuild a sense of safety. If you want an example, here’s how IFS therapy helped me heal from CPTSD and finally start retraining my nervous system.
The tricky part is that your body can’t heal in the same environment where it learned to survive. Recovery means experimenting with new ways of existing, ways that don’t have you bracing for the next hit, every single day.
You’re Not Broken – You’re Recalibrating
If you’re living with CPTSD and struggling with physical symptoms, please know you’re not imagining it. Your body isn’t betraying you; it’s protecting you. It just hasn’t realized it can stand down yet.
Healing CPTSD isn’t just a mental process. It’s full-body rehab. And while it’s not fast or easy, it is possible. You’re not broken; you’re just recalibrating after years of surviving.
Photo by Yoann Boyer on Unsplash