Notes from a Trauma Whisperer

Why do two people go through a similar stressful event, but one person recovers quickly while another stays activated for a long time? At first glance, it can look confusing. The event may look almost the same from the outside. Maybe both people were criticized. Maybe both had a conflict. Maybe both faced rejection, stress, or fear. But the recovery is completely different. One person feels shaken for a while and comes back to normal. The other stays anxious, tense, shut down, or emotionally affected for a long time. Why does this happen?

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.