Are you stuck in a trauma loop? Here's how to break free

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limited All rights reserved. Namrata Jain 3 min read 18 Oct 2025, 09:19 IST A trauma loop is what happens when our nervous system keeps reacting to the past as if it were happening now. (Unsplash/Logan Fisher) Summary Old traumatic events may linger in the body and brain, manifesting as chronic tension, stomach aches and a state of being overwhelmed by everyday triggers. Learning to heal the loop starts with awareness According to the WHO, almost 70% of people worldwide will go through at least one potentially traumatic event in their lifetime. For many, the impact doesn’t just fade – it lingers. That “drum” is what I call the “Trauma Loop”: old patterns, sensations and reactions that keep playing, often beneath the surface, until we learn how to interrupt them. A trauma loop occurs when our nervous system continues to react to the past as if it were happening now. Everyday triggers—a smell, a tone of voice, a look—can pull us back into feelings of fear, shame, anger, or numbness. The brain and body treat the past as present and we end up on autopilot. Reactivity, avoidance, self-blame or emotional shutdown become default settings. SIGNS YOU’RE STUCK IN A TRAUMA LOOP Sudden waves of emotion that don’t match what’s happening right now such as being overwhelmed after a small comment or panicking in a safe place. 2. Avoiding people, places or feelings because they ‘set you off’. 3. Repetitive relationship patterns (anger, withdrawal, people-pleasing) that leave you exhausted. 4. Your body speaks through symptoms such as chronic tension, stomach pain, shaky energy or emptiness. 5. Mentally replaying the story, trying to ‘get it right’ – or erasing it and feeling disconnected. If any of this sounds familiar, remember: it’s not weakness. The loop is your nervous system trying to protect you with an old card. We are not here to ‘fix’ you – you are not broken – but to rebuild coping skills that carry you forward. HOW THE BODY DRILLS TRAUMA Trauma is not just in the mind; it depresses the nervous system. The body carries memory in tension, breathing patterns, startle reactions and numb spots. Somatic awareness simply means noticing these sensations without judgment. Try this: sit for one minute and name three sensations (tightness in the chest, fluttering in the stomach, heaviness in the shoulders). Name them, breathe to them, soothe your curiosity. This small act reconnects your thinking brain with your body and weakens the reactive loop. Gentle somatic releases include: Grounding (feel your feet on the floor) 2. Slow breathing with a gentle exhalation 3. Gentle movement or stretching 4. Trembling (yes, shaking can help) 5. Mindful body scan 6. Reassuring phrases (‘I’m safe right now’) If sensations feel overwhelming to slow down and reach out to a traumais. As a trauma-informed therapist myself for 12+ years, using breath work, hypnotherapy, ice baths, and other somatic tools, I have seen how powerful, and safer, this work becomes with support. HOW TO BREAK THE TRAUMA LOOP Build a safety ritual. Choose one small physical act – such as carrying a smooth stone in your pocket, placing a hand on your heart or lighting a candle – and use it when the loop starts. Rituals give your body new cues for safety. Log without judgement. For a week, write down your triggers: what happened, how your body felt and what you did. Seeing patterns on paper makes it easier to change. Practice micro-exposure. Gently look at small versions of triggers for brief moments. Small rehearsals teach your nervous system the situation is manageable. Develop a recovery script. Write two calm, friendly sentences to use after a trigger. For example: ‘It was then. I’m here now. I can breathe’. Repeat until it feels natural. Cover your day with small safety experiences. Add pleasant sensory moments daily such as drinking hot tea, wearing a soft scarf, stretching. Repetition trains your body to expect safety, not just danger. Use co-regulation. Practice being in a state of calm with the help of someone you trust such as a friend, partner or group. Our nervous systems learn safety by synchronizing with calm companions. Being stuck in a trauma loop can feel relentless…but stuck doesn’t mean forever. We don’t need to erase what happened. Instead, we can teach our body and mind another way to live with it through patient, steady retraining of safety. It’s about rebuilding, not fixing. Your body is both a map and a consent slip – if it remembers the wound, it can also learn the language of safety. Namrata Jain is a psychotherapist and relationship expert based in Mumbai. Get all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. more topics #Mental health #healthgoals Read next story