Notes from a Trauma Whisperer

When it comes to stress, the autonomic nervous system is the master controller. Think of your autonomic nervous system as the autopilot system for your body. It manages all the things you do not consciously think about, like breathing, heart rate, digestion, and most importantly, your internal sense of safety.

Today, I took my son for his Entrance exams. As I sat there,  I found myself drifting back to my own school days. I remembered how it used to be a "team operation."  My mother was the heartbeat of the morning—preparing the food, packing the lunch, checking the water bottle, and asking that one final question:  "Have you taken everything?"  Meanwhile, my father was the logistics manager. He’d be outside checking the car, heading to the petrol bunk, making sure the tire pressure was perfect. He knew the route; he handled the "outside world" so I could just focus on the paper in front of me. But today? Today, I was both of them. I was the one packing the lunch. I was the one at the petrol bunk. I was the one navigating the traffic and the one calming the nerves.  And when I got home, I was the one calling the plumber to fix a broken pipe, a task my father always handled without me even noticing.   Someone easily said you are overacting as if you are writ...

You are in love with a man, or you are married to a man,  who is physically present in the relationship but emotionally absent.  He sits next to you, but he is always on his phone.  His mind is always on his next meeting, his next deal, his next goal.  You feel the disconnect.  You keep thinking he doesn’t understand what’s happening, so you try to explain.  You tell him you’re not asking for gifts or big gestures.  You’re just asking for some time, some connection, some presence. And the moment you say it, he reacts. He says he is doing everything for you.  He says nothing is enough for you.  He says this is how he was brought up.  He tells you that you don’t understand the value of money. And this becomes the pattern every time you bring up your needs. What’s actually happening underneath all of this is that men like him usually carry deep father wounds.  He grew up being ignored unless he achieved something.  He learned that...

How I Broke My Toxic Communication Pattern (And What It *Really* Felt Like) Recently, I was talking to a friend,someone I’m not super close with. I brought up something that happened a year ago, when he was a little rude to me. Since he’s so friendly with me now, I thought I’d finally ask why he acted that way. I was genuinely curious and expected a simple explanation. But his answer was completely inconsistent with his past behavior. Immediately, I felt that familiar urge. I had so many points to argue. I wanted to make him see how his story didn't add up. I wanted to explain, correct, and get clarity—to straighten it all out. But I didn't. Because of past experiences, I’ve learned that when people don’t want to see the truth, they won’t. No amount of explaining will change that. So, for the first time, I just kept quiet. On the outside, I was calm. But on the inside, I was intensely irritated. My mind was stuck in a loop, replaying the conversation and all the things I wanted...

  Why a Narcissist Refuses to Travel with the Group I noticed something recently.  We had a plan to travel together in a van. A big group. Around fifteen to twenty people.  Everyone was excited. Except one person. He immediately said no. He wanted to come in a separate car. At first it looks harmless. Just a preference. But when you understand narcissistic patterns, this behaviour makes perfect sense.

  How to Trust Yourself After Abuse One of the hardest parts of healing after abuse is not trusting anyone — including yourself. You start second-guessing every decision. You overthink every word. You fear your intuition because it once led you to danger. But here’s the truth — your intuition didn’t fail you. Your safety was overridden by survival. 1. Why You Stopped Trusting Yourself Abuse trains you to question your own perception. You get blamed for things you didn’t do, told that what you saw or heard didn’t happen, and forced to apologize for existing. This constant gaslighting rewires your nervous system. Your body starts asking, “Can I trust what I feel?” Your mind starts answering, “No. It’s safer to doubt.” 2. Signs You’ve Lost Self-Trust You ask everyone else for advice before making a decision. You replay conversations in your head, wondering if you were “too much.” You panic when someone disagrees with you. You apologize even when you did noth...