Understanding Dorsal Vagal Shutdown: Numbness and Trauma (SNB192) 

i feel like i’m just moving through life and can’t feel a lot . life feels like a lot of hard work

My counselor was talking to me about this yesterday. I fall into the dorsal state and have a hard time coming out because I don't feel the world or life is safe. I have a bipolar2 child who I worked to keep alive until he passed by suicide last year at 16. There were 3 years before he passed that were extra hard. I was in constant fight or flight for him. the whole world is scary. Getting out of bed is scary.

This is the best way I've ever heard of describing my trauma due to a childhood of sexual abuse by an uncle that started at birth and went on with daily death threats until I was 13. He admitted to it but I received no help, mother fell apart and threw me out. At 13. I am now 50 and just was my mother's main nurse while she died of lung cancer for two years and all the childhood trauma has been reactivated physically. Constant disassociation. I thought helping her through her cancer and death would help me find closure yet I've been left with more unanswered questions then ever. This description has helped me quite a bit thank you

I’ve never heard of this before I just happened upon it Would explain my dreamlike existence…slow mo ,cut off from everyone,no appetite,closed curtains,need to sleep,sleep and sleep some more.can’t be bothered to speak anymore….no desire or energy to do anything,just float through the day if not sleeping,feeling physically unwell and weak …..I’m glad people are leaving me alone.

I've been in shutdown for almost four years, barely coming out of it now, it is so bizarre. Don't fully understand how I'm still alive, but our bodies are incredible that's for sure

I’m in this state constantly, if not having meltdowns from reactions, and now I’m scared of triggers happening or any more stress/bad news, life events. I try to function, very limited, can’t hardly sleep, and it’s a horrible existence. I’m forever doing vagus nerve exercises. I’m healing from prescription medication damage and it’s so hard and traumatic. Yes being around others, even family is too much, so alone all the time. Not who I am. Thank you for talking about this and offering advice

This happened to me after being repeatedly discarded by an emotionally terroristic covert narcissist. It took a long time to feel anything close to normal. Years later I'm still not right but I can recognize how far I've come. Remember to keep breathing and that you're worth loving. No love will ever compare to the love you can provide and offer yourself.

After my wife's multiple affairs, I couldn't figure out why my body kept shutting down. This explains so much. Thank you!

this comment section is so validating and at the same time makes me feel a lot less alone with my years long struggles. sending love to everyone here ❤

Thank you!!! My doctors called this" psychosis" as they proceeded to lock me up on a psych ward for a week... multiple times! 👀 I was disociated for valid causes, survival mode....NOT crazy but now I think I am. Systematically and insidiously ABUSED!!! Where was/IS the real help for people like us?#IAMASurvivor

Yep that’s where I’m at right now 😢 At first I cried and cried and cried when my truck broke down as I am already homeless and can’t afford to fix it and then the other day when my caravan home was badly damaged while being towed by the tow truck, I couldn’t even process the grief anymore and have no more energy to even cry anymore and just feel nothing anymore, completely numb and just want to sleep constantly.

I would also call it a catatonic state, where you are staring into space but not seeing. You are moving through a fog. Like automatically one foot in front of the other, like putting on pants one leg at a time. I have been in this state in the past.

This really helps me understand why i stayed with a man who raped me 6 months into our relationship when we had just moved in together. I froze in the midst of it, but then i ended up in a shutdown state that made it impossible to get out. Growing up in an abusive home laid the groundwork. I am finally preparing to leave after years of repressing my trauma and enduring repeated sexual coercion for way too long. I am trying to get therapy. On a 3 month wait list. But i am going to get to a place where i feel safe. I will not give up.

I was shunned by my community after realizing I no longer believed in Jehovah’s Witness teachings-especially disfellowshipping and shunning. My friends and spouse viewed me as an apostate and a threat to their spirituality. I changed my mind because both of my parents had committed suicide and I felt that shunning and disfellowshipping played a major role in their situation as well. Losing all of my friends at once and my marriage has been so debilitating. I have major abandonment issues and I can barely function

I love the suggestion of creating a happy safe room with optimized ambience. I've needed to paint my bedroom for a while. This idea can help me take it to another level. As a child I ended up right on the edge between freeze and shutdown. I've been there every day since for 35 years. After decades of uselessly fighting my body to be more active, my healing journey finally improved when I let myself stop. Resting and meditating in an optimized spa-like bedroom sounds amazing. Thank you!

At 5 years old I experienced a supernatural trauma, something not of this world, realm, I was so terrified my soul left my body, i could see myself from above in the tree line. Then my soul shot back down inro my body, and I found myself fighting for my life. Terrified, fozen, untill i got up enough courage to run, and hide from it. I never recovered. No one till this day can seem to help me.

I can’t even begin to thank you and your patients for helping elaborate my life experience. I’m 58..in this last 5 months I have had multiple acute episodes of grief, on top of chronic emotional stress. I feel like I’m drowning right now…I can’t get to the surface and get a breath. I’m exhausted.

Thank you algorithm for bringing me here ❤

I made a foolish mistake and retired from my career job I really loved. I couldn't handle what i did. Stress was SO bad, i got insomnia!, anxiety... and depression. I don't do or go anywhere. I fear this condition now,.. im stuck with no interests.

Just listening to your calm voice brings a feeling of safety.

If I'm about to be eaten, a shutdown state is less traumatic than being witness to being devoured. This state can be correlated with being predated upon by a pathological parent, where shutdown is useful.

I was in dorsal vagal shutdown earlier this year. I couldnt figure out why or what the heck was wrong with me. It wasnt until a good friend told me that what i was experiencing was abuse from my family. I couldnt recognise it, as i had been raised in an abusive family dynamic. Soon enough, i left and cut all ties. Im out of dorsal vagal shutdown, but currently stuck in mostly freeze/fawn mode

Stuck not broken - I need this my t-shirt, haha! 😅 Thank you Justin. I can't put to words how many times I've heard I'm lazy. Well... Now I know what I now and I'm so thankful for that knowledge. One tiny step at a time, we are safe, we can regulate our bodies 💖

Great video…I really relate to the trauma of lack of attachment due to incompetent parenting.

As a child of cptsd, I spent every summer sitting in the dark watching TV. I still do, to this day, and have wondered what it's about. Was I paralyzed with trauma (yes), and was that why I was stuck on the couch with this dorsal vagal response?😮

A friend of mine has not left her bed in over a year, doesn’t socialise with anyone ,only talks over the phone ,and not that often… Her family member,was arrested and her home raided by armed police ,just before all this started.. she says, she just can’t get out of the bed ,every day she says, she tries… I’m just wondering could she be dealing with shut down.. I honestly don’t know how to help and it’s over a year now🤷🏽‍♀️

Five years of memories gone from this

I don’t want to affect my 5 year old with my trauma responses. I’m starting therapy one on one. I’m a healer but I need healing professionally. My d daughter deserves a childhood I never had and I deserve to be happy and free

Is my phone reading my mind? I was just thinking about this an hour ago, but i didn’t know the term. The word 'catatonic' was going around in my mind. I haven't left the house since December. I am very mentally ill. Great video. Thank you 🇬🇧

You explained this so well, thank you. It perfectly describes what I’ve experienced but didn’t quite understand. I’ve been doing jiu jitsu for several months and it has been incredibly healing for me. It feels like I’m beginning to take back ownership of my body after being in a shutdown/dissociated state due to trauma for a very long time. Jiu jitsu forces me to go into fight or flight mode in a safe and controlled environment.

You have a very warm calming voice. So glad I found your channel

Can you have a lot of physical sensations too? I am disconnected to myself and the world but also have extreme fatigue, heaviness in my body, headaches. If I push myself to do anything it all gets worse and I have an immense instinct to go back to my bed and shut the door. Is this shutdown?

Nobody cares about my condition. When I reach out I get beat up. I dont even want to wake anymore because I cant cope with this much meanness and apathy everyday.

Amazing! I've had no idea about this 'state'. This explains the effects my work colleagues have had on me! Counsellors misusing their power! Who would have thought! Good to know there is recovery and empowerment with knowledge in spotting it if it happens again and to know what to do. Thank you 🌸

Interesting, thanks for sharing. I'm a shamanic practitioner and this reminds me of some of the work we do in shamanism too.

Been feeling this for years now. Tried to raise a severely autistic child with an emotionally abusive spouse, put me in the mental ward 8 days, diagnosed MDD and PTSD. I don’t have the heart palpitations every day since I left child’s dad but raising him on my own with very little help is pretty much killing me. Been going to docs thinking I have cancer but its just stress literally ripping my nerves apart.

This happened to me earlier this year when l was in hospital seriously ill with covid pneumonia.l nearly died,and my suffering was so great that l deliberately and instinctively knew what to do.Somehow,l knew that to escape the stress for a while ,l had to remove myself to another place.l did this by slowing everything down,my breathing,heart rate,thinking,until l actually went somewhere else.When this happened,apparently the nursing staff thought l had taken a turn for the worse and was possibly dying.l was moved into a single room to be looked after,during this time l was not aware of what was going on,and a few hours later l gradually returned to awareness,realising that l was in a different room.The nurse told me that l had been wide awake,my eyes wide open, but completely out of it.l have absolutely no memory of what happened while l was elsewhere,but this was deliberate on my part,because l had thought that if l didn't do this,then l would likely die. I have never heard of this before,but had sometimes practiced disassociation,or disconnection,in times of stress.l told my family and doctor about this,the power of the mind is incredible,and l am glad that l now have a scientific explanation to back up what happened to me.

Thank you. This explained exactly what I've been experiencing for over 10years. My new therapist has insight into the Dorsal Vagal Shutdown, and mentioned that she thinks that's what I'm experiencing. Which is why I'm here watching your video. I feel hopeful.

Very helpful that clarified freeze with sympathetic activity vs dorsal vagal shutdown

Thank you. Just randomly saw this on RU-vid. Been like this since December when mum died who I used to care for full time for years with no help or break. She had complex needs . She had an awful death that it traumatised me. I’m 58 and my siblings have been brutal even when mums body was still laying there to be collected. They want me out of the house which is my home also so they can sell it and get their share of the proceeds asap. I will get my share but it’s nowhere near enough for me to buy even a tiny studio once it’s split. I’ve been traumatised about mums death, how she died, losing my home soon and how awful my siblings have been and being to me. I went from having a dangerous heartbeat for 3 weeks after she died I thought I was going to have a heart attack or stroke and called the GP. This then turned to depression and me completely shutting the world out and not being able to deal being around anyone. Luckily the benefit place has okayed I’m not well enough able to work at least. I’m now in a rush to come out of it as am going to be homeless soon one way or another and the thought of being around people still scares me. Not sure where to go from here but it’s good to hear that this is a pretty normal reaction. I feel as though I’m dealing with multiple traumas. My siblings really have no sympathy or compassion and just makes things worse for me thinking I’m just being lazy not working the last few months but I’ve been traumatised and still am with everything. At least this has a name and I can go about how to try improving my mental health now.

Thank you so much, Justin. This video makes me feel truly validated. Childhood attachment trauma is a real thing. For those who experience secure attachment during their childhood, they don’t have a single clue how traumatizing it was. They think we who suffer shutdown are making this up. But your video explains it all. Thank you so much for what you contribute to this world. You and Sarah Baldwin are the light in the tunnel for me.

Well, this explains and me to myself a bit more.. meditation does do the job.. with my state i can relt on guided mediations or relaxations..but if your super sensitive like me fussy on voice choice and sounds and levels of soundtrack to voiceover .. it can ve hell. Lighting and sound can change everything for me! Amazing dimmable lighting.. colour changing portable lights keep me calm sane and safe.. I've been looking into NLP techniques more and more and this is all coming together and i think that this year i will fix and sharp myslef up more than i realise - thanks to people like You - grateful and glad to find you today. 💙🌎💜

I only found this term a fww days ago. This has been an issue for 5 years now, its why i was let go from my job and put on disability. After a lifetime of constant traumas, chronic illnesses and never being allowed to heal brought me to the point of any trigger causing me to collapse. Very thankful for this video and i am trying to learn more about this so i can get better. One of my last therapists had just said "let's just ackthat this happens" when i asked how we could try getting me to a state of a less intense response to any little trigger.

I did this today at the bank while waiting for a solution to another bs problem. For me it’s all about energy conservation.

The siituation got so bad for me that I could not even stay awake during the day. All I did was wanting to sleep. These Energy Vampires are dangerous, but not as dangerous as a person who has survived the trauma they caused us. I am in psychotherapy now, yes on pills to help eith the anxiety and depression, but they are merely crutches to help me while I am growing stronger. There is hope, just take the first step and find a therapist who specialises in trauma healing. Thats all, just start there.

Namaste & Thank You very clearly emplained You are a Gift to the world Bless You and all who read this and watch your videos

Recovery from this is possible although it may not feel like it at first

Now i know is the name of this. My psiquiatrist never talked to me about this.

I think this is something I deal with but never heard of it. Thing is I run into lots of bullying and when I go to some emotionally immature family for help, I get attacked and blamed. I recently went through something bad and when I went to my family, they really brought back lots of behavior that have caused me tons of damage. I was attacked while in college and had to drop out being I couldn't get myself to function. I think a big part is that those I go to for help cause more harm being their own issues. I think I'm in shutdown now and am trying to get myself out before I slide too far. I was even thinking about making this a part of my studies, thanks. Brilliant work

You explained it way better than I could.

Thank you for this superbly produced caring video. The pacing and insights are terrific. I've been studying trauma for years especially freeze state. I look forward to learning more from you as this is my first episode on your channel. Your gentle style is appreciated as is the turtle and shell analogy. I'm starting to glimpse a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for that Justin. 💕🎶😉⛱️

I’m shutdown and it’s a long road out. Appreciate the video - very helpful

Thank you. Was miserable today

I really like the sound of your voice and how you speak, it's soothing. I'm watching this as I got triggered and I find it easy and calming to just listen.

Very Good info, I've had this response since I was 7 yrs. Old Balled into a fetal position for days. I'm 58 now, I've done ok but I am very severe. Your info about experiences and your knowledge was very helpful. Says alot since the subject is so misuderstood, and undiagnosed.

My whole life it seems, I’ve been in DV shutdown. I was a forcepped baby, does make me wonder.

Is this the same as when you try to keep the emotions down because they are too scary or not the right time for them to come up? I feel like it became a maladaptive coping skill for me to manage anxiety and fears and now i unconsciously just tighten up when the fight flight energy comes. So its like the foot on the brake and the pedal. It gives me so much anxiety because i feel so dysfunctional and dysregulated. And the freeze is so tight and doesnt let the fight flight go out. Takes me hours or days to regulate.

_18:56__ thanks Justin I will update my therapists about it, you know they got me messed up around here._

So this crazy… now I know why I have depersonalization/Derealizaton not just from anxiety and panic attacks but THIS! I just looked it up and it literally said this was the main cause! Now on how to treat it idk. But everyone and I mean everyone is telling me to do acupuncture is this correct? Thank you very much! ❤

Thank you so much for this Justin. I too have spent much of my life in shutdown, and not knowing what it was, have spent a small fortune trying to get unstuck. I'm so glad science has caught up with trauma at last. Thank you for clarifying shades of grey, and your very helpful suggestions. New subscriber, appreciate you.

Interesting. Thank you.

Great job on this from a fellow coach. Your website is also so well done.

I feel like I'm in between freeze and shutdown...I have a chronically ill child and since 2024 arrived, I've just lost the ability to cope with her illness and my worries about it. Now the stress of my business is hitting me and dealing with all of her various issues...and worrying about how she'll live in this world when she can barely get out of bed for 6 years now.

This seems to be what happens in autistic shutdown

Thank you. ❤

My parents never understand about my life and reason. The more discussions about how bad performance and no improvement I am, that's what she said. The more not perfectly manage the house chores, and I always scolded and warned not to talk back. Neighborhood, people, friends who heard about how bad I am. I'm having this symptom until now. I'm being bullied, being laugh. I'm sorry.

Thanks for explaining the difference between freeze and dorsal vagal. I thought they were the same thing and they are often displayed that way by many other RU-vidrs, so thanks for clarifying. Is there one standout element that one could use to determine whether they are in just dorsal or the mixed freeze state?

lol planning on getting a stellate ganglion block procedure. I will need CBT afterwards. Thanks for the education.

Thank you : )

It feels like locked in syndrom. Powerless.

Thank you so much, I'm loving the content, it's very helpful. The world I perceive needs this,😍

Below I refer to myself in the third person. It is a transcription of a real-life encounter/experience. A waking-dream. One I had with Jesus... Jesus will lead the way; she doesn’t need to do anything. Jesus, what would you like to do next? Going to sit with her on the sand... She sees the word 'pure' written in the sand. It is confusing for her. What does it feel like to go out on the water with Jesus? It feels like a crazy ride! Feels happy, magical, miraculous, confusing etc. She feels secure with him, but fears that Jesus won’t be here forever and she’ll be alone. Jesus what would you like to say in response? He knows how alone she feels, but she’s never alone, Jesus is always with her; will never leave her; they are a part of each other. We are one and she is never, ever alone. There has been someone who has been a source of pain. I’m going to take him to see her; to unite them. She sees Bryan who was her best friend and they are embracing. Bryan is all in black and his hair is down and they are embracing. There is an innocence to him and he didn’t mean any harm, even though he harmed her so much; he didn’t mean it. There is a connection that goes beyond their bodies; their souls are connected. Bryan is just trying to calm her and to let her know it is okay. Jesus loves him just as much as he loves her. Bryan is as much his son and she is his daughter. Now they are transported into a courtroom; Jesus is the judge; they are on opposite sides; Bryan and she are on trial. Bryan is pleading his case. She is just sobbing. She is being shown the victim she has been; she keeps carrying that, while Bryan pleads his case. She can’t bear the pain so she just sobs. She is perpetually in victim mode. Jesus is smiling; watching the way you might watch a TV show. He is detached. There is no right or wrong. Beaming smile; tells Bryan to come over to her; She can see light around him like he is an angel in disguise. He is sorry for her pain. This is all part of a greater plan. Bryan embraces her and she looks into his eyes. Clarity beams. But her mind can’t catch up and she is confused. Now they sit down on her side of the courtroom next to each other; now they are on the same side of the trial; holding hands. Jesus is just loving this - getting a kick out of it; he is excited and happy; but she hasn’t fully caught up. It is perfectly okay; he sees her pain - what her soul knows but her mind can’t catch up... And in between the two: there is panic. She hears him saying, "I am in the waves." What movie are you and Jesus going to go see? She sees Bryan running toward the theatre to catch up... She sees what Jesus wants to show her; scenes that come up; memories that pop up - some terrify her; they cause her panic. Bryan is excited to watch as if it is an interesting movie. She’s in the middle of the two of them and she is paralyzed with fear. She sees Jesus getting her all propped up; massaged; favorite drink, favorite food; calm relaxed comfortable; Bryan is okay; She is not watching this alone. It's perfectly okay. She is seeing memories that terrify her; She is constantly scared of her past; it haunts her and it paralyzes her; She sees Bryan loving it. Jesus wants her to see all these things in a different way. They are moving to the back of the theatre where it will be less overwhelming. Bryan is staying at the front. He wants her to see the scenes of her life that terrify her and that Jesus and the angels were always with her. It's too much. She feels overwhelmed. It's confusing. She wants to see but she’s feeling overwhelmed. She sees that Bryan comes to the back of the theatre and sits on the other side of her; Jesus holds her hand and looks at Bryan with a look of knowing. She sees herself getting smaller, child-size. She is getting bigger now and she is sitting cross-legged. He loves her prayer - about lifting the veil of fear - she will see things differently. She sees Bryan enjoying the movie because he is detached. Jesus wants her to learn detachment. She gets so sucked into the memories and she gets panicked. Good or bad memory doesn’t matter. She is seeing clear that she can just watch memories like a movie. None of it is real; that’s the title of the movie; dragons across the screen. And Jesus is just getting a kick out of it; He is watching her catch up to it. She hugs Jesus and she cries in his arms. She’s telling him that she is so scared; she doesn’t want to be here anymore. Jesus responds; "it is not your time baby girl; so much more to see and more to do." He is going to helps her emerge from this cocoon phase into a butterfly. She wants Jesus to explain why he let Bryan hurt her; to explain all the traumas in her life; she is sobbing. She feels so much love and compassion but doesn’t get sucked into the story. He sees her as perfect. Now there are so many angels in the movie theatre; full bright, white amazing wings. The whole theatre is lined with these angels. God says that they are all here for you. Bryan is still eating his popcorn and enthralled with the movie. Jesus is so happy watching her watch the angels. Jesus is tuning her voice - he wants her to use her voice and to stop repressing and suppressing it. The angels are going to help her to release her voice. The attachment to the memories is because her voice hasn’t been released. Angelic music is coming out of her voice as it gets finely tuned; now Bryan is noticing her, not just the movie. She is being lifted higher and higher as she sings: angelic sounds coming from her voice; God is showing her it is time to use her voice. She feels panic because she is the one who must do what has never been done before; a blessing and opportunity; a burden; it is so big. Now he is showing her with her sister; needs to have a conversation with her sister; so much of it starts there - how much love there is between them. Jesus will be there for both of them 100%. So much will be released once this conversation has happened. She keeps praying - that whoever God has ordained as her husband that they be united. Once she has a conversation, that her voice isn’t suppressed; the gifts will be released including this ordained husband. It is confusing. God still has work for her to do. She is so tired and cannot do anymore, but God is showing her the pathway forward... She sees this man waiting for her in the wings. The bridge between there and here are the things she needs to do - this conversation; angels are there; divinely orchestrated. She needs to surrender to God more and more; hanging on is keeping her panicked. What is Jesus doing now? He is leaving - he is ascending into the sky; He is physically leaving but the sense of him is deep in her heart; a small version of himself is in her heart. She wants Bryan to stay but he has to go too. He kisses her on the cheek and he ascends. Bryan has his own path. Time to release her voice; to release Bryan; to have a conversation with her sister. Jesus is lifting something out of her; he is pulling it out of her - she is carrying stuff that isn’t even hers and is centuries old and he is lifting it all out of her. What is Jesus doing now? She was feeling panic and an immediate desire to reach for Bryan. God is carrying a corkscrew; He is showing her a tool. Flooded with panic and memories and a desire to reach for Bryan... Jesus has the tools and he can fix anything, all the time. Turn back to him when she wants to reach for Bryan - nothing that he can’t fix; gentle with your heart; hold on; hold that space. He has every tool needed to fix anything and everything. She is giving Jesus a big hug. She is getting a greater sense of hope for the future. Now glimmers of hope through the despair. At an airport and Jesus is walking with a huge set of scissors severing the strings between Bryan and her. Jesus is severing all those ties. She is going to experience new freedom without being attached by these cords. Jesus is showing her how much more freedom. To get to what she prays for: to get to uniting with the man that God has ordained for her: - Sever ties to Bryan - Conversation with sister - Use of voice He has something so much greater for her. Her connection to Bryan was just there for a time. He has something so much better for her, a healthy connection. She won’t be alone forever. She is in the cocooning now and he will help her through the work that she needs to do. He is showing her that Bryan was a symbol of what she could have - way more profoundly aligned with her. He was there so she could see that there is more for her beyond these unhealthy ways. God is going now but he is also staying within her. A blessing from Jesus? Chunks of gold. She is going through the fire and on the other side of the fire is gold; gold goes through the fire. Thank you for the blessing… It is clear what the blessing is. There are little flecks of gold in each memory - look for them. He will help her find it. She sees that in each memory; if she looks closely at each memory - they contain love. A phoenix rising from the ashes - and she is that - she needs to hold to that. On the other side is the gold...

I think I was potentially in Dorsal vagal shutdown for 17 years. I can assure you, If I am right, eating and phone scrolling is not the most of my concerns when I may be regaining my fight/flight energy. How to respect peoples boundaries with this seemingly enormous wave is my biggest concern. The last time it happened, it probably developed a bout of psychosis leading to my hospitalisation and resignation from work. I lost a character reference, which means difficulty rejoining the work place, I am now volunteering and am managing slowly to get into reading and gym, but as I make concious decisions to improve my mental state, I am not met with favourable outcomes. I am met, by what feels like a deep anger. If I do not get it under control, I will lose the volunteer position, and really be up shits creak without a paddle. There seems to be a disjunction between potential severity of the outcomes of the Dorsal Vagal shutdown (DVS), I would assume I am at a more severe stage of it than that which leads to what sounds to me like a nice way to relax, If I am right that what I have experienced is DVS. Any tips?

Thank you for what you do ❤

Very helpful, thank you

Can chronic fatigue actually be a form of dorsal vagal shutdown? Secondly, can you get a diagnosis for dorsal vagal shutdown? Thank you

I am clocking this with myself. I just went through another take down the beginning of this last week and am having a very difficult time functioning-it takes weeks for me to get out of this phase of neuro hit. *it used to take months People who are abusive want us to be in this state so they can feed on our emotions/energy. Often they will take our reaction and present it as THEIR state of emotion/emotional state which is super gross and predatory. Just my observations. I have lost everything and am filled with dread and despair. Cognitively I know this will pass and that it is a normal neuro response to the abuse. I cannot leave.

Thank you so much for this information. I now understand more of what is going on for me and, more importantly, I have hope of resolving it. thank you.

I’m going through it now. I have so many things to do. I’m on the verge of losing my house. I haven’t worked since February. And all I can do is cry and I’m in a freeze state

Very well explained - thank you 🙏

Yes! When my daughter cut me off contact to my grandchildren. I kept feeling like i want sure if i was here or if i was dreaming. I was afraid to go to the toilet because i thought i might wet the bed!!!

Thank you so much for explaining this in a calm and easy way 😊 do you have any information regarding vagus nerve and adhd? 😊

What about Caregiver burnout doing Palliative care then going through Grief

Thanks a lot for your explanations! I wonder why my thoughts are gone it's completely blank...is it a connected to the shutdown? Greetings from Germany ☀️

Every week

Just finding this video after finding out my partner of 10 years has been having 2 affairs outside our relationship and he then left to go live in an apartment with one of the women. I feel numb then emotional pain that keeps me sobbing in bed and it’s after that where I shut down. I lay perfectly still in bed and barely breathe but I can’t sleep. I feel like my skin is trying to lift off my body - it’s been three days since I found out and I don’t want to be conscious because there are no other thoughts except for him and what happened.

These comments are unbelievable.

Pay attention to your GUT HEALTH to help mental and emotional health! Dr Amen is a good resource

Yes Wow ever knew about this

I get disassociated in traumatic events like after a car accident when I was pregnant (not injured at all but worried about baby) and my blood pressure went so low the EMT’s said I should be dead- kept rechecking and rushed me to hospital. I think it Happened again during c section in two pregnancies after days of labor. I know it’s nothing compared to super traumatic occurrences. But clearly my body didn’t differentiate. So it’s a physiological process for sure. Would love to know ways to mitigate. ❤ *not sure if it’s the same but I’ve also had a NDE almost drowning at 2 years old and remember watching myself from above and feeling like I could breathe then cut to being rescued and coughing water like don’t remember the in between. I was scared in the bath and pools on and off for a while- just mildly but frightened something could get me. And I dissociate / panic attack when public speaking - also not sure if it’s the same

How do you get out this??! I have dpdr from one bad drug experience a year ago, I am unable to panic, numb, losing emotions, basically everything that makes me human

What happens when in shutdown the mix of ascension symptoms gets thrown into the pile? Feels like the brink of spontaneous combustion to me.🤯

This has happened to me many times.

Thank you

I think I am in shutdown , after 5 low back surgeries , I feel pain in my body , I ha 51 years , I am a pro musiscian , have 2 daughters , an ex wife , l am living with my parents , cannot play my bass to earn money or to enjoy music , How can I get out of this terrific state ??? Please help me please ❤❤❤

I have a strange cycle of nervous agitation/excitement (mania) which amps up until I crash, which is when I hace a mwlt down, then shut down. Hysterical, ctatonic, eventually devolving into cataplexy (limp)

I'm only familiar with the vagus shutdown that causes me to fall unconscious. It's happened 3 times and it usually starts with a bad stomach ache - one time it was after I hite my funny bone and then I wake up on the floor with some wicked bruises. It's too expensive to get studies done so I just deal with whatever it is. It happens so rarely anyways.

I’m an educator. I’m currently teaching a course as part of SEL (social emotional learning). I’ve included a unit on trauma. Since you’ve shared this on RU-vid do I have your permission to share with my students? I have registered on your website.

Please face your audience. It would make the video that much more compelling.

Who are you talking to? I was curious and wanted to watch. But you looked like your having a conversation with someone else vs looking into the camera talking to those watching 😕