Psychoeducation · Trauma reactions
Feeling disconnected from my body
My body may feel distant or unfamiliar after trauma.
Your body went through a lot with you. You don't have to blame it for responses you couldn't choose.
What is it?
After trauma, your body or certain sensations may feel unfamiliar or far away. Touch, movement, or even seeing yourself in a mirror may feel different than before.
How can it happen?
When frightening or painful memories are connected with the body, some sensations may later bring back fear or detachment. Sometimes this can be part of how you got through what happened.
Supportive words
My body was trying to survive, too. It didn't do anything wrong.
I don't have to feel comfortable in my body right away. I don't have to rush that feeling.
What it does not mean
If your body feels unfamiliar now, you're not doing anything wrong. You don't have to love it right away or force yourself to feel differently. You can go at your own pace.
What it might feel like
“I do not want to be in this body.” “It feels as though it is not mine.”
Background and sources
A descriptive phenomenon that may relate to different trauma and dissociative processes.
These sources relate to the topic. The explanation is independently edited educational content, not a clinically tested intervention.