Understanding PTSD and How Healing Actually Happens

You’ve probably heard of PTSD- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Maybe you picture soldiers, car crashes, or something catastrophic. But PTSD can happen quietly too. It can come from the birth that didn’t go as planned. The miscarriage no one knew about. The years of caregiving, or the abusive relationship that you never really got to process.

Sometimes trauma isn’t one big event or something obvious, even though those are the things we usually hear about. SometimesIt’s the accumulation of things that just wouldn’t stop taking strength, energy, time, or emotion from you.

What PTSD actually is

PTSD is your brain and body’s way of saying, something happened that I couldn’t fully handle at the time.

When we go through trauma, our nervous system shifts into survival mode. Heart racing. Muscles tight. Everything scanning for threat. That reaction is supposed to protect you in danger. The problem is when your body never fully gets the message that the danger is over. So you keep reacting like it’s still happening.

This is what PTSD really is- a nervous system stuck in survival mode long after the actual moment has passed.

What it can look like

PTSD can be subtle, or it can look like flashbacks or nightmares. Sometimes it’s the way your body tenses when someone raises their voice. Or how you can’t seem to relax, even when everything’s quiet.

Some common signs include:

• Feeling constantly on edge or hypervigilant

• Difficulty sleeping or relaxing

• Avoiding reminders of what happened

• Sudden panic, irritability, or emotional numbness

• Guilt, shame, or self-blame

• Feeling detached from yourself or others

• Physical symptoms like stomach pain, headaches, or chest tightness with no clear cause

For many, PTSD doesn’t start right away. It can surface months or even years after the trauma.  For many of my clients, it shows up when life finally slows down enough for your body to notice what it’s been holding.

Trauma after birth and reproductive experiences

One of the most overlooked types of trauma is birth trauma or reproductive trauma- experiences that were physically or emotionally overwhelming but never fully processed.

You might have felt ignored during labour, helpless during a procedure, or terrified by a complication. Maybe you experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth and were expected to “move on.” Maybe your fertility journey has been one long cycle of hope and loss.

These experiences can leave lasting emotional and physiological imprints. You might still feel triggered by hospitals, medical settings, or even certain sounds or smells. You might find yourself dissociating or panicking during future appointments, or feeling deep sadness and guilt that you can’t explain. This, too, can be PTSD, and needs support.

The nervous system and trauma

When trauma happens, your body reacts automatically- fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. You don’t choose it. It’s your body’s way of surviving.

The tricky part is that the body doesn’t tell time. It doesn’t know the danger is over until it feels safe again. So even when life looks calm, your body might still be bracing for impact.

That’s why trauma healing includes helping your body feel safe again, not just talking through this. Teaching your body that you are safe now can take time, and doing it with support is incredibly helpful. 

Healing from PTSD

Healing happens in layers:

1. Stabilization. Feeling safe in your body and environment.

2. Processing. Gently revisiting and re-integrating the traumatic memories with support.

3. Integration. Rebuilding trust in yourself and your capacity to live without fear guiding everything.

Therapies like CBT, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and somatic approaches can all help, depending on what feels right for you. But the relationship with your therapist- and feeling safe, seen, and believed- is what matters most.

What healing can look like in real life

It can look like sleeping through the night without nightmares for the first time.
It can look like being able to talk about what happened without your heart racing.
It can look like holding your child, driving past the hospital, or being intimate again without panic.

Healing isn’t linear. The hard days can come in waves, fully unexpected. But slowly, the hard ones stop defining everything.

When to reach out

If you’ve been feeling “off” for a while- jumpy, numb, easily startled, disconnected, or replaying something you wish you could move past- it might be time to talk to someone. You don’t have to name it as trauma to deserve help.

Therapy can help you make sense of what’s happening in your body and mind, find gentler ways to cope, and start feeling safe again.

At Bloom Psychotherapy, we work with trauma in all its forms- from birth trauma and loss to relational wounds and long-term stress. We help you understand what’s happening in your nervous system and find a path toward calm, safety, and connection.

You don’t have to do this alone. You can book an appointment online or connect with our Client Coordinator today to find the right fit for you.