The Biology of Trauma® With Dr. Aimie

Explore how attachment trauma from childhood shapes our current relationships and health issues, often lying hidden in the body. Discover the critical elements of attunement, neurodevelopment, and biology that influence attachment styles. Delve into six types of attachment pains—from feeling unheld to misunderstood—and their surprising links to conditions like IBS and anxiety. Learn about integrative repair strategies that bridge the mind, body, and biology for healing. This journey reveals the profound impact of early experiences on lifelong patterns.

Why does the simple act of smelling essential oils directly regulate the nervous system during trauma and grief? How can practitioners support clients who struggle with feeling their bodies? What if smell is the most underutilized tool for creating safety and embodiment? Seven years ago, Jodi Cohen's 12-year-old son died suddenly in a car accident. Her 14-year-old daughter, about to start high school, needed her mother to stay present through the unimaginable. This episode shares Jodi's journey of daily choosing what helps and what hurts, discovering that smell became her most accessible pathway to nervous system regulation when everything else felt too overwhelming. You'll learn the science of why our sense of smell is our most direct connection to the limbic system, how rose essential oil counteracts the fear response in the brain, and why smell allows us to titrate our emotional experience in micro-moments rather than getting flooded. This episode bridges functional medicine and somatic trauma healing for both practitioners and individuals navigating grief, chronic pain, or trauma recovery. Whether you're supporting clients through loss or learning to regulate your own nervous system, you'll discover how to use essential oils as deliberate cues of safety that shift your state without anyone noticing. In this episode you'll learn: [00:01:28] Jodi's Story of Loss: How her son's death became a daily practice of choosing what helps and what hurts while parenting through grief [00:03:08] Why Smell is Critical to Survival: The science of olfactory receptors and how rose essential oil counteracts the brain's fear response [00:05:27] Stories Follow State: Why shifting your nervous system state automatically changes your thoughts without working on the stories [00:07:04] Parasympathetic Blend Behind the Ear: How applying essential oils on the vagus nerve regulates sympathetic dominance during overwhelming moments [00:09:11] Flooding Shuts Down Problem-Solving: Why you must regulate your nervous system before you can think clearly or make decisions [00:12:36] When Bedtime Brings Up Everything: How stillness at night surfaces all the grief and feelings we've avoided all day [00:14:24] Creating Neutral Space for Dorsal Vagal: Recognizing shutdown and using oils to observe feelings without reliving trauma [00:21:05] Titrating with Smell: Using essential oils for micro-moments of feeling followed by safe action to build capacity without flooding [00:24:37] Fascia, Lymph, and Nervous System Integration: Why addressing all three systems together creates coherence and lasting regulation [00:27:16] Where to Apply Essential Oils: Finding the divot behind the ear, belly button, and feet for maximum nervous system regulation Main Takeaways: Smell is Our Most Powerful Survival Sense: Of the five senses, smell connects most directly to the limbic system because it alerts us to food, water, predator odor, and fire—making it the most critical sense for survival and the most underutilized tool for nervous system regulation. Rose Essential Oil Counteracts Fear Biology: Research on olfactory receptors shows that rose essential oil directly counteracts the fear response triggered by predator odor in the brain, making it a powerful tool for trauma healing and embodiment. Your Stories Follow Your State: Thoughts and narratives automatically shift with your nervous system state—when you're in calm aliveness you notice beauty, in stress you spiral with worry, in shutdown everything feels hopeless. Shifting state is often easier than changing thoughts. Smell Creates Space Between Stimulus and Response: Essential oils provide the easiest accessible tool to create that critical pause between what happens and how we react, allowing us to move from automatic survival responses to conscious choice. Titration Makes Healing Sustainable: Using smell to titrate emotional experience—feeling for 30 seconds, then shifting attention—builds capacity to stay present with difficult feelings without getting flooded or retraumatized. Go Slowly When Activating Parasympathetic: People who've been sympathetic dominant for years will start detoxifying when they finally feel safe. Start with just smelling oils before topical application to prevent overwhelming the lymphatic system. Fascia, Lymph, and Nervous System Work Together: These three systems are woven together like a marriage—the vagus nerve is the masculine aspect, fascia is the feminine, and when both are in harmony the body moves into coherence. Grief Requires Daily Practice: Healing from trauma and loss isn't about being fixed or finding one solution—it's making a daily choice to lean into tools that work, even when you don't feel like it. Coherence Creates Lasting Change: When you align the nervous system, fascial network, lymphatic system, heart coherence, and limbic system together, you create deadbolts on the door of safety rather than just one lock. Notable Quotes: "When you're flooded, it turns off your access to your prefrontal cortex, which is kind of your problem solving skill. And so you need to regulate your nervous system so that you can problem solve." "It's not like I am fixed or I found this thing. It's that every day I live with chronic pain, I live with hard things, and every day I make a choice to deal with it." "The nervous system, lymphatic system and the fascial network are all woven together. The fascia is kind of the feminine aspect of the nervous system and the vagus nerve is the masculine, and I think they're married and they work together." Episode Takeaway: The healing journey from grief and trauma don't require you to be fixed—they require daily practice of choosing tools that work even when you don't feel like using them. Jodi's journey through the loss of her 12-year-old son reveals why smell became her most accessible pathway to nervous system regulation: essential oils create that critical space between stimulus and response because olfactory receptors connect directly to the limbic system, allowing us to titrate emotional experience in micro-moments, shift our state (which automatically shifts our stories), and regulate before our prefrontal cortex shuts down from flooding. Resources/Guides: Jodi Cohen's Vibrant Blue Oils - Jodi's Parasympathetic blend (clove and lime) applied behind the ear on the vagus nerve, along with her Rose, Lung Support, Limbic Reset, Fascia Release, and Heart blends mentioned throughout this episode. The Biology of Trauma book - Available now everywhere books are sold. Get your copy Foundational Journey - If you are ready to create your inner safety and shift your nervous system, join me and my team for this 6 week journey of practical somatic and mind-body inner child practices. Lay your foundation to do the deeper work safely and is the pre-requisite for becoming a Biology of Trauma® professional. Related Episodes: Episode 100: 3 Power Stories: How to Reclaim Your Mental & Physical Health Through Biology of TraumaⓇ with Dr. Aimie Apigian Episode 97: Pain as Protection: Why Your Body Creates Chronic Pain & The 3 Questions to Ask to Release It with Georgie Oldfield Guest: Jodi Cohen is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, functional practitioner, and founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, where she creates proprietary blends of organic and wild-crafted essential oils designed specifically for nervous system regulation. After her 12-year-old son's death in 2018 and navigating her ex-husband's bipolar disorder and suicide attempt, Jodi discovered that essential oils provided the most accessible pathway to regulation during overwhelming grief and chronic pain. Her #1 bestselling book "Essential Oils to Boost the Brain and Heal the Body" (Random House) synthesizes decades of scientific research on how essential oils support the body and brain. She has helped over 100,000 clients heal from anxiety, insomnia, autoimmunity, and inflammation, and was recognized as one of the 2024 Enterprising Women of the Year. Visit her website and follow her on Instagram. Your host: Dr. Aimie Apigian, double board-certified physician (Preventive/Addiction Medicine) with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health, and author of the national bestselling book "The Biology of Trauma" (foreword by Gabor Maté) that transforms our understanding of how the body experiences and holds trauma. After foster-adopting a child during medical school sparked her journey, she desperately sought for answers that would only continue as she developed chronic health issues. Through her practitioner training, podcast, YouTube channel, and international speaking, she bridges functional medicine, attachment and trauma therapy, facilitating accelerated repair of trauma's impact on the mind, body and biology. Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical, psychological, or mental health advice to treat any medical or psychological condition in yourself or others. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own physician, therapist, psychiatrist, or other qualified health provider regarding any physical or mental health issues you may be experiencing. Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please share and use your name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free and the discussion positive😌

What if your struggle with goodbyes isn't just about being emotional—but reveals something deeper about how you've been protecting yourself from grief? In this mini episode, Dr. Aimie Apigian shares one of her most personal stories about transformation: how her lifelong pattern of avoiding goodbyes led to carrying decades of unprocessed grief, and how learning to stay present through endings completely changed her life—and became the foundation for the 21-Day Journey. This episode explores the hidden costs of emotional avoidance, why goodbyes can feel unbearable, and how learning to feel complete with experiences is essential for moving forward without regret. Dr. Aimie vulnerably shares her journey from someone who would literally book trips to avoid final goodbyes, to someone who could sit with her dying friend David and ask the question she'd never been able to ask before. In this episode you'll hear more about: The pattern of goodbye avoidance: How Dr. Aimie would emotionally distance herself long before endings arrived, protecting her heart but never feeling complete with experiences The hidden burden of unfinished goodbyes: Getting busy, finding escapes, leaving early—even booking trips specifically to avoid being present for closures The grief underneath: Why each goodbye felt so hard—it was tugging on a lifetime of accumulated, unprocessed grief from every goodbye she'd never properly faced The embarrassment of emotional sensitivity: Hiding her feelings to appear strong and tough, then sobbing alone once she was by herself The pattern of depletion: Always wanting more, never feeling like there was enough time, never feeling complete—and how this connected to her inability to say goodbye David's story: Meeting an 82-year-old man who became a dear friend during the pandemic, and the decision to bring him home from isolation when he was dying alone The question that changed everything: "Is there anything you feel you need to feel complete before you pass on?"—a question Dr. Aimie had never been able to ask patients in her years working in general surgery The moment of transformation: Sitting with David as he held her hand over his heart, not bracing herself, heart wide open—becoming a completely different person than the Aimie who would've found dishes to do or papers to file The birth of the 21-Day Journey: How the specific exercises and sequence were designed in those final hours with David, born from the realization that if she could change this much, anyone could The commitment to not do it alone: Why Dr. Aimie designed the journey to safely guide others through their healing, just like she did for David—providing not just exercises, but the science and support so no one has to figure it out alone Your relationship with goodbyes reveals more about you than perhaps any other aspect of your life. Learning to stay present through endings, to feel complete with experiences, and to honor what's been while still moving forward—this is the gift of true closure. 🎧 Want more on nervous system healing? This week's full episode is Episode #144: The Perimenopause Revolution: Trauma, Transitions and Tools with Dr. Mariza Snyder, where we explore how perimenopause brings everything up for review—relationships, obligations, and patterns that no longer serve you. Just like learning to be present for goodbyes transforms your capacity for closure, perimenopause becomes an invitation to discern what matters enough to maintain your nervous system regulation in the second half of your life. Don't miss this powerful conversation about why everything you've been tolerating suddenly feels intolerable, and how to navigate midlife transitions with nervous system support!

Many women enter perimenopause unprepared for the brain remodeling and nervous system changes that make this transition feel destabilizing. For practitioners supporting clients through midlife, and for women navigating perimenopause themselves, understanding how stored trauma amplifies symptoms and shrinks capacity changes everything about this journey. This episode features Dr. Mariza Snyder, author of The Perimenopause Revolution, who shares her personal journey through perimenopause while carrying complex PTSD from childhood abuse. You'll discover why stabilizing blood sugar becomes foundational for cellular energy, how the critical line of overwhelm shifts during perimenopause, and why brain inflammation during this transition feels like cognitive decline. Dr. Mariza reframes perimenopause as an invitation to review what's up for change—relationships, obligations, and patterns that no longer serve your nervous system—rather than something to survive. In this episode you'll learn: 02:16 Why Blood Sugar Stability Is Pillar One: How stabilizing cellular energy through food becomes foundational during perimenopause and nervous system dysregulation 04:30 Perimenopause as Neuroendocrine Transition: Understanding neuroinflammation and brain remodeling during erratic hormone decline 08:14 When Executive Function Falters: Why women who effortlessly managed 100 tabs suddenly can't multitask the way they used to 11:22 Change and Stored Trauma: Why perimenopause triggers those carrying trauma—change means the unknown, and the unknown feels more dangerous than familiar suffering 14:18 Everything Up for Review: How perimenopause forces discernment about what you've been tolerating, prioritizing, and saying yes to 17:03 The Critical Line of Overwhelm Shifts: How perimenopause shortens your capacity threshold and why that might be the invitation you need 20:53 The Cake Pop Phenomenon: Why women operate disconnected from their bodies and how perimenopause demands new attunement 23:14 Progesterone, GABA, and Melatonin Decline: The alarming rate at which women lose these calming neurochemicals during perimenopause 27:09 Shifting State Through Grounding: Practical strategies like naming objects in the room to get prefrontal cortex online 28:34 The Five Week Midlife Reset Plan: Movement, sleep strategies, meal plans, recipes, and symptom trackers to create wins without overwhelm Main Takeaways: Cellular Energy Determines Everything: Blood sugar stability creates homeostasis that supports mood regulation, stress tolerance, and nervous system capacity—making it foundational for both perimenopause and trauma healing. Perimenopause Shrinks Your Critical Line of Overwhelm: Your capacity threshold shortens during perimenopause, forcing discernment about relationships, obligations, and patterns that push you over the edge into dysregulation. Brain Inflammation Mimics Cognitive Decline: The erratic decline of estrogen, progesterone, GABA, and melatonin creates neuroinflammation that feels like early dementia but is actually your brain remodeling for the second half of life. The Hundred-Tab Brain Stops Working: Executive function that allowed effortless multitasking begins to falter—it's a time your brain is recalibrating to focus on one thing at a time. Stored Trauma Amplifies Perimenopause Symptoms: Women with childhood trauma, hypervigilant nervous systems, and complex PTSD experience perimenopause as more destabilizing because change triggers survival responses rooted in the unknown feeling dangerous. Everything Comes Up for Review: Perimenopause forces examination of what you've been tolerating—work obligations, relationships, people-pleasing patterns, and the habit of prioritizing everyone else before yourself. Disconnected Demands New Attunement: Operating disconnected from your body (all cerebral, nothing below the neck) no longer works—perimenopause demands you drop into your body and form new relationships with its signals. Notable Quotes: "If we could just optimize, stabilize our cellular energy through stabilizing our blood sugar, we really set a great foundation." "We could have a hundred tabs open and manage them effortlessly. And then I remember the day where I was really having to effort because that level of executive function begins to falter." "Nothing is wrong. Stop trying to find something to do right now. Like, just be present in the moment." "I feel like a cake pop sometimes. Everything is just happening here and what's below my head, there's nothing below. You know, I'm so disconnected." "Perimenopause is a time for discernment, because everything is up for review. We get to work on the trauma because it's probably coming up for review." "The critical line of overwhelm—you have less of a line. It shortens. And I don't necessarily think that that is a bad thing if you can become aware." Episode Takeaway: Perimenopause isn't just about hot flashes and missed periods. Your brain is literally remodeling itself. Hormones that showed up predictably for decades now arrive erratically. For women carrying stored trauma, this feels destabilizing. Change means the unknown. The unknown feels dangerous. You don't know who you're becoming. You don't know what your capacity will be. You don't know if you can trust your brain anymore. Your nervous system responds the only way it knows how—by staying on alert. The critical line of overwhelm shifts during perimenopause. Your capacity threshold shortens. What felt manageable last year now pushes you over the edge. The relationships that drain you. The obligations you never wanted. The people-pleasing patterns you've carried for decades. They suddenly feel intolerable. Your nervous system no longer has bandwidth for what doesn't serve you. Stabilizing cellular energy through blood sugar becomes foundational because dysregulation multiplied by time creates the neuroinflammation that mimics cognitive decline. Women who operated as "cake pops"—all cerebral, disconnected from body signals—discover that perimenopause demands new attunement. Your body is no longer willing to be ignored. The invitation is to grieve your former self, accept your brain's recalibration, and choose what you're calling into the second half of your life with fierce discernment about what matters enough to maintain your nervous system regulation. Resources/Guides: The Perimenopause Revolution by Dr. Mariza Snyder - The comprehensive manual for navigating perimenopause with nervous system support, blood sugar strategies, movement plans, meal plans, and the five-week midlife reset. Get the book and access over $700 in bonuses at drmariza.com/book The Biology of Trauma book - Available now everywhere books are sold. Get your copy Foundational Journey - If you are ready to create your inner safety and shift your nervous system, join me and my team for this 6 week journey of practical somatic and mind-body inner child practices. Lay your foundation to do the deeper work safely and is the pre-requisite for becoming a Biology of Trauma® professional. Related Episodes: Ep 166: The Body Keeps Score: How Trauma Rewires Your Nervous System with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk Ep 123: Light, Sleep and High-Impact Habits To Heal Your Nervous System Guest: Dr. Mariza Snyder is a functional practitioner and author of The Perimenopause Revolution, the comprehensive guide helping women navigate perimenopause with nervous system regulation, cellular energy optimization, and practical strategies for the decade-long transition. With her own experience of complex PTSD and hypervigilant nervous system, she brings both clinical expertise and personal understanding to supporting women through midlife brain remodeling. Learn more at drmariza.com and connect with her on Instagram @drmariza. Your host: Dr. Aimie Apigian, double board-certified physician (Preventive/Addiction Medicine) with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health, and author of the national bestselling book "The Biology of Trauma" (foreword by Gabor Maté) that transforms our understanding of how the body experiences and holds trauma. After foster-adopting a child during medical school sparked her journey, she desperately sought for answers that would only continue as she developed chronic health issues. Through her practitioner training, podcast, YouTube channel, and international speaking, she bridges functional medicine, attachment and trauma therapy, facilitating accelerated repair of trauma's impact on the mind, body and biology. Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical, psychological, or mental health advice to treat any medical or psychological condition in yourself or others. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own physician, therapist, psychiatrist, or other qualified health provider regarding any physical or mental health issues you may be experiencing. Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please share and use your name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free and the discussion positive😌

After treatment, Dirci was told by her oncologist to go back to her life as "normal." But as she steps into the cancer support groups, everyone is in fear of remission. Melanie received the diagnosis of breast cancer, felt the fear of if treatment would get it all, and decided now was the best time for nervous system healing -not later. She finds herself on the radiation table using her somatic tools and finding a calm and a freedom that surprises the nurses. Many people receive cancer diagnoses without anyone explaining how stress, trauma and nervous system dysregulation create the biological conditions where disease can be welcomed. For practitioners supporting clients through cancer treatment, and for individuals navigating their own healing journey, understanding the connection between stored trauma and physical health changes everything about experiencing freedom from the fear that accompanies a diagnosis, even after successful treatment. This episode shares two stories about breast cancer and the nervous system regulation work that became essential to their ability to find freedom during and after the treatment. You'll hear from Dirci, a mother of twins who developed breast cancer during the pandemic after years of daily overwhelm, and Melanie, whose postpartum anxiety and childhood hypervigilance preceded her diagnosis. Both women went where their oncologists said wouldn't make a difference—yet addressing their nervous system dysregulation became the missing, foundational piece for their emotional health. Their journeys reveal what becomes possible when we heal the underlying Biology of Trauma® instead of returning to the patterns that created illness. In this episode you'll learn: [02:01] Dirci's Story: How her sister's death, twins' therapy sessions, and daily overwhelm preceded breast cancer [10:54] When Doctors Say "Go Back to Normal": Why returning to life as usual after treatment felt wrong [14:09] The Moment Everything Clicked: Discovering trauma in her body through Dr. Aimie's interview [18:30] From Information to Embodiment: How the 21 Day Journey created awareness and presence in daily life [21:04] The Transformation Others Noticed: Looking better after cancer treatment than before diagnosis [27:02] Melanie's Story: Postpartum anxiety, rage, and hypervigilance that preceded her breast cancer diagnosis [36:04] Using Rage as a Pause Button: How anger became a coping mechanism to control overwhelming environments [41:45] Going Through Treatment with Peace: Using the heart hold on the radiation table instead of panic [48:26] Tools That Don't Wear Out: Why nervous system regulation practices remain effective years later [49:40] Healing the Next Generation: Breaking intergenerational trauma patterns by regulating your own nervous system Main Takeaways: Normal Was What Made Them Sick: When doctors said "return to life as normal," both women recognized that normal—daily overwhelm, hypervigilance, pushing through exhaustion—was what had created the conditions for illness in their bodies. Too Much Too Fast and Too Little for Too Long: Dirci's story shows how these two trauma patterns combined—sudden losses and daily therapy stressors—created chronic nervous system dysregulation that manifested as breast cancer two years later. Cancer Communities Can Create More Fear: Traditional cancer support groups focused on recurrence statistics and survival rates kept both women in fear states, while trauma healing communities offered a path toward joy and aliveness instead. Awareness Creates Different Parenting: Learning to regulate her own nervous system helped Dirci recognize when her children were in sympathetic or shutdown states, allowing her to parent from understanding rather than trying to change behaviors. The Body Needs Tending During Treatment: Melanie went through radiation and biopsies with peace by using tools like the heart hold and orienting—creating connection with medical staff instead of panic. Healing Tools That Don't Wear Out: Unlike other modalities that lose effectiveness over time, the nervous system regulation tools from the 21 Day Journey remained relevant and powerful for both women years later. Moving From Hours to Presence: Dirci shifted from feeling like she never had enough hours in the day to actually being present in her life—the essence of the healing journey. Notable Quotes: "I knew that the way my life was happening was what put me into cancer. So I needed to find help." - Dirci Souza "I don't want to have fear, I just want to support my body. I would rather be working towards finding a path to feel joy and feel alive than to take a path that brings along the fear." - Dirci Souza "Until then, I had no idea. Didn't cross my mind. Trauma. Am I traumatized? For me it was just life. What I was going through and I needed to be brave, I was surviving." - Dirci Souza "I used anxiety to fuel myself. So I would keep doing whatever it is I needed to do. That's the energy I ran on." - Melanie "I could not have imagined remaining so calm and centered going through cancer treatment. I could put my hand over my heart right there on the radiation table. That was one of my favorite moments through the whole cancer journey." - Melanie Episode Takeaway: When oncologists say "return to life as normal" after cancer treatment, they miss a critical piece: normal was often what created the conditions for illness. Both Dirci and Melanie's stories reveal how years of nervous system dysregulation—chronic hypervigilance, pushing through exhaustion, using anxiety as fuel—created the biological environment where cancer could develop. Dysregulation multiplied by time creates disease. Their diagnoses arrived after years of too much too fast combined with too little for too long. The remarkable insight: both women looked better after cancer treatment than before diagnosis. Why? They finally addressed underlying nervous system dysregulation, not just the cancer. Simple tools like the heart hold and vu breath created immediate regulation—Melanie used the heart hold on the radiation table and experienced peace instead of panic. Most powerfully, healing your nervous system heals the next generation through co-regulation, breaking intergenerational trauma biology that manifests as chronic illness decades later. Resources/Guides: The Biology of Trauma book - Available now everywhere books are sold. Get your copy Foundational Journey - If you are ready to create your inner safety and shift your nervous system, join me and my team for this 6 week journey of practical somatic and mind-body inner child practices. Lay your foundation to do the deeper work safely and is the pre-requisite for becoming a Biology of Trauma® professional. Related Episodes: Episode 32: What are the Ways the Body Communicates Stored Trauma? with Dr. Aimie Apigian Episode 74: Why Stored Traumas Become Syndromes & Somatic Solutions with Peter Levine Your host: Dr. Aimie Apigian, double board-certified physician (Preventive/Addiction Medicine) with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health, and author of the national bestselling book "The Biology of Trauma" (foreword by Gabor Maté) that transforms our understanding of how the body experiences and holds trauma. After foster-adopting a child during medical school sparked her journey, she desperately sought for answers that would only continue as she developed chronic health issues. Through her practitioner training, podcast, YouTube channel, and international speaking, she bridges functional medicine, attachment and trauma therapy, facilitating accelerated repair of trauma's impact on the mind, body and biology. Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical, psychological, or mental health advice to treat any medical or psychological condition in yourself or others. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own physician, therapist, psychiatrist, or other qualified health provider regarding any physical or mental health issues you may be experiencing. Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please share and use your name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free and the discussion positive😌

What if the brain fog you're experiencing isn't just tiredness—but your nervous system's way of disconnecting you from an unbearable reality? In this mini episode, Dr. Aimie Apigian answers a question from Rachel, a therapist in Seattle, about why the freeze response is associated with brain fog. Many people think of the freeze response as simply paralysis, not understanding the sophisticated biological mechanisms happening at the cellular level. This episode dives deep into the freeze response—when it happens, why it happens, and the brain inflammation that creates the disconnection and fog we experience. Understanding this biology helps us recognize when we or someone we're working with has a chronic functional freeze, so we know where to start with healing. In this episode you'll hear more about: The five steps the body takes to go into a trauma response—starting with activation and crossing the critical line of overwhelm The two reasons we cross that critical line: "too much too fast" (excessive activation) and "too little for too long" (prolonged stress without recovery) Why your nervous system decides certain situations are life threats—even when logically they're not (like being berated in residency or hearing hurtful words from someone you care about) The cellular biology of brain fog: How immune cells in your brain (microglia) unleash inflammation, cytokines, and chemokines that create the mental disconnection and fog The surreal feeling of freeze: Why voices sound distant, why you feel like you're in a daze, and why people around you seem far away even though they're right there Chronic functional freeze: The state where you're still functioning and going through life, but secretly wanting to hide, using substances like caffeine or food (especially histamine-producing foods) to push through Why anxiety is often your body fighting the freeze—using stress to stay out of shutdown, which is why relief from anxiety can sometimes make you fall into that heaviness The brain inflammation protocol: Specific nutrients and practices to keep your microglia in their resting state, including NAC, magnesium L-threonate, luteolin, GABA, resveratrol, and turmeric Ocular-cardiac reflex (eye support): A simple but powerful tool where gently pressing on closed eyes activates the vagus nerve for immediate calm Why starting with the freeze is essential—opening up the chronic functional freeze gives you more energy to dedicate to the healing journey Dr. Aimie's personal story of a biking accident and concussion—experiencing the freeze response firsthand as she regained consciousness on the sidewalk The freeze response isn't weakness or paralysis—it's your nervous system's sophisticated survival strategy when it perceives a life threat. Brain fog is always part of the freeze response, created by immune cells in your brain that help you disconnect from unbearable reality. Understanding this biology helps you recognize the freeze in yourself or others, and know that working with it is where healing must start. 🎧 Want the full conversation? This mini episode expands on Episode 142: Why Stress Isn't Trauma: How to Spot Overwhelm and Start Healing Your Nervous System with Dr. Aimie Apigian, where Dr. Aimie explores the difference between stress and trauma responses and how to recognize when you've crossed the critical line of overwhelm.

Why does brain inflammation happen during the freeze response? How do you explain the difference between stress and trauma to patients? What's the single most important starting point for nervous system regulation? This episode answers these critical questions while revealing why emotional eating isn't a willpower problem and introducing the simple three-day tracking tool that changes everything for healing. You'll discover the critical line of overwhelm - that invisible threshold where stress becomes trauma - and learn practical strategies you can implement immediately to support your nervous system and begin the repair process. In this episode you'll learn: [01:19] The Biggest Myth: Why confusing stress and trauma leads to minimizing experiences and self-shame [02:11] Physician's Lens on Trauma: If it makes you sick 20 years later, it wasn't just stress [06:04] Three Nervous System States: Understanding polyvagal theory and the critical line of overwhelm [09:52] Brain Inflammation During Freeze: Why immune cells unleash inflammation as protective survival strategy [13:25] Dysregulation Multiplied by Time: Why autoimmunity takes 20 years of nervous system dysregulation to appear [14:40] Three-Day Nervous System Journal: Simple hourly tracking tool that reveals hidden patterns [19:00] The Gut-Brain Connection: Why your gut is inseparable from brain health and trauma loops [21:22] Emotional Eating and Functional Freeze: Understanding food's hidden functions beyond willpower [24:40] The #1 Starting Point: Why quality sleep has greatest impact on nervous system regulation [25:44] Aligning with Circadian Rhythm: Morning sunlight, red light therapy, and working with your body's healing strategies Main Takeaways: Stress vs. Trauma Requires Different Repair: If it makes you sick 20 years later, it was trauma requiring fundamentally different approaches than stress management The Critical Line of Overwhelm: Personal capacity threshold where activation becomes trauma and the body automatically hits emergency brake Brain Inflammation Serves Protection: Immune cells unleash inflammation during freeze to facilitate disconnection and energy conservation for survival Time Compounds Dysregulation: Autoimmunity requires approximately 20 years of nervous system dysregulation to manifest as diagnosable disease Three-Day Tracking Creates Awareness: Hourly nervous system tracking reveals patterns showing time spent in shutdown, stress, or calm aliveness Innate Healing Requires Right Conditions: Surgical incisions prove the body heals itself when blocks are removed and proper support provided Gut-Brain Creates Stuck Points: Imbalanced gut causes neurochemical problems feeding back to worsen gut issues, limiting therapy progress Food Function Reveals Need: Emotional eating serves specific purposes - staying awake, avoiding feelings, managing energy - not willpower failure Sleep Impacts Everything: Quality sleep has greatest single effect on nervous system regulation and reduces sugar cravings Notable Quotes: "If it makes you sick 20 years later, that was not just stress. That was trauma your body was experiencing in childhood. You're looking at it through the lens of your adult self now, but that's not how you were experiencing it back then." "The critical line of overwhelm is where you've done your best. Your best wasn't good enough, and hitting the wall means there's no point in trying anymore." "Brain inflammation is part of a trauma response. Sometimes it triggers it. Sometimes it's triggered by the freeze response, but they always happen together." "Dysregulation multiplied by time becomes diagnoses. It's predictable." "Track your nervous system, and you'll be amazed at how much you learn about yourself in a week." Episode Takeaway: The critical line of overwhelm represents your personal threshold where stress becomes trauma and your body automatically engages the emergency brake. Brain inflammation during freeze is part of the deliberate survival strategy - helping you disconnect, go numb, and conserve energy for survival. The insight: dysregulation multiplied by time becomes disease. Autoimmunity takes approximately 20 years of compounded nervous system dysregulation to manifest. This explains why short-term stress doesn't cause chronic illness but prolonged trauma patterns do. The three-day nervous system journal - tracking your inner state hourly - reveals patterns invisible to both practitioners and clients. This tracking tool shows how much time you spend in each of the three states and guides targeted intervention. Quality sleep stands as the single most powerful starting point for nervous system regulation. Better sleep reduces emotional eating, decreases sugar cravings, and increases your capacity to handle stress before crossing that critical line into trauma territory. Resources/Guides: The Biology of Trauma book - Available now everywhere books are sold. Get your copy Foundational Journey - If you are ready to create your inner safety and shift your nervous system, join me and my team for this 6 week journey of practical somatic and mind-body inner child practices. Lay your foundation to do the deeper work safely and is the pre-requisite for becoming a Biology of Trauma® professional. Related Episodes: Episode 101: Brain Inflammation: Addressing The Overlooked Gatekeeper To Trauma Release with. Dr Austin Perlmutter Your host: Dr. Aimie Apigian, double board-certified physician (Preventive/Addiction Medicine) with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health, and author of the national bestselling book "The Biology of Trauma" (foreword by Gabor Maté) that transforms our understanding of how the body experiences and holds trauma. After foster-adopting a child during medical school sparked her journey, she desperately sought for answers that would only continue as she developed chronic health issues. Through her practitioner training, podcast, YouTube channel, and international speaking, she bridges functional medicine, attachment and trauma therapy, facilitating accelerated repair of trauma's impact on the mind, body and biology. Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical, psychological, or mental health advice to treat any medical or psychological condition in yourself or others. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own physician, therapist, psychiatrist, or other qualified health provider regarding any physical or mental health issues you may be experiencing. Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please share and use your name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free and the discussion positive😌

What if having the same gene as your sister doesn't mean you'll have the same outcome? What if trauma and nervous system dysregulation could be the difference between expressing a genetic disease—or not? In this mini episode, Dr. Aimie Apigian answers a question from Rachel in Texas, who discovered she carries the BRCA gene mutation. Despite making the same lifestyle changes as her sister—who also has the mutation—Rachel developed breast cancer while her sister remained healthy. Why? Dr. Aimie reveals the biological mechanism that connects nervous system dysregulation to genetic expression: oxidative stress. This episode offers a scientifically grounded yet hopeful perspective on why two people with identical genetics can have vastly different health outcomes—and what you can do about it. In this episode you'll hear more about: Why BRCA mutation carriers have a 45-72% lifetime breast cancer risk (versus 12-13% in the general population)—but not everyone with the gene develops cancer The biological link between nervous system dysregulation and oxidative damage to DNA How BRCA genes interact with NRF2 antioxidant pathways, creating increased vulnerability to oxidative stress Why both sympathetic activation (stress/anxiety) and dorsal vagal shutdown (depression/numbness) decrease your body's ability to clear oxidative stress The "calm alive" state: when your body naturally engages its healing and antioxidant repair mechanisms Dana's story from The Biology of Trauma—a physician with childhood trauma who found a breast lump and learned to repair nervous system dysregulation Practical tools: why vitamin C and antioxidant-rich foods (broccoli, blueberries) matter for genetic conditions How somatic self-practices can quickly shift your nervous system state and support cellular repair Why having a genetic condition doesn't mean you're powerless—epigenetics shows us DNA expression can change Genetics load the gun, but environment and nervous system state pull the trigger. This episode is a powerful reminder that even when you carry genetic risk, your nervous system regulation, oxidative stress levels, and daily practices can dramatically influence whether those genes are expressed. Your biology is not a life sentence. 🎧 Want the full conversation? This mini episode expands on Episode 141: Can Trauma Make Genetic Disease Worse? The Role of the Nervous System, where Dr. Aimie explores hereditary conditions and why nervous system work matters even when genetics are involved.

Many people living with genetic conditions like MEN1, or hereditary autoimmune disorders feel trapped by their diagnosis. Practitioners often monitor and treat symptoms without addressing how trauma and nervous system dysregulation amplify those symptoms. But what if your nervous system still holds the key to how you experience your genetic condition? In this conversation, Lizzie Dunn, diagnosed at 13 with MEN1, shares how she came to my work skeptical about trauma's role in genetic disease. She discovered that her body wasn't betraying her. It was protecting her. And through nervous system regulation and somatic work, she experienced shifts she never thought possible. This episode bridges the gap between conventional medicine and trauma healing. Whether you're a practitioner working with genetic conditions or someone living with a hereditary diagnosis, you'll learn how the nervous system acts as the master conductor of your biology. In this episode you'll hear more about: [00:00:09] How nervous system regulation influences genetic disease symptoms [00:03:00] Why the nervous system sees genetic mutations as vulnerabilities that trigger faster trauma responses [00:09:00] How stored trauma creates dysregulation that amplifies all symptoms [00:14:00] Why so many people with chronic conditions live disconnected from their bodies [00:22:00] How paradox and vulnerability are essential parts of healing [00:23:40] Why generational trauma gets passed down through mitochondrial DNA [00:30:00] How healing requires working on mind, body, and biology levels simultaneously [00:36:00] Why small interventions across three areas create bigger shifts than years of single-approach work Main Takeaways: Nervous System as Master Conductor: Even with genetic conditions, the nervous system determines symptom severity by directing all physiological responses and biological adaptations Genetic Vulnerabilities Trigger Faster Trauma Responses: The nervous system sees genetic mutations as vulnerabilities, causing it to move into overwhelm and trauma biology more quickly than if no vulnerabilities existed Body Disconnection is Survival: Living in your head and disconnecting from your body is a protective mechanism to avoid overwhelming sensations of powerlessness, shame, and pain Generational Trauma Through DNA: Trauma passes down through mitochondrial DNA on the mother's side via epigenetic changes from oxidative stress, affecting gene expression in future generations Integration Creates Lasting Change: Single-approach healing (therapy alone, supplements alone, or diet alone) creates temporary shifts; addressing mind, body, and biology simultaneously creates sustainable transformation Small Hinges Move Big Doors: You don't need decades of intensive work; small interventions across three levels create remarkable shifts when done together Body Has Innate Healing Capacity: Like skin healing over surgical incisions, the body can reorganize and reset when blocks at mind, body, and biology levels are removed Notable Quotes: "Even if we have a truly genetic disease, the nervous system is still going to be influencing the degree of symptoms that we have from that." "The nervous system is what drives all the other systems, because it's what changes them, allows them to adapt to our environment. And so the nervous system, when it becomes dysregulated in its responses, it's going to cause dysregulation of all the other symptoms and systems." "Why would I want to be in my body? My body is in pain, emotional pain, physical pain. I don't like my body. My body is working against me. At least that's the thought that I have. Why would I want to be in my body?" "That's not resilience. That's pushing through, that's surviving. So let's call it that. Let's call it, Hey, you're surviving, you're pushing through. But that kind of resilience is going to come at a cost." "Epigenetics do get passed down to us, and it gets passed down, especially through the mother because of the mitochondrial DNA that gets passed on to the children." "You actually don't have to do that much of each to start seeing shifts. But we do need to bring in all three because when you have all three, they're like small hinges. And when you've got small hinges and you've got three of these small, you just did baby steps, small hinges move big doors in our life." Episode Takeaway: Living with a genetic condition doesn't mean you're powerless over your symptoms. Your nervous system acts as the master conductor of your biology, determining how severely you experience your hereditary condition. When you have genetic vulnerabilities, your nervous system perceives them as threats and moves into trauma biology faster, creating dysregulation across all systems. The exhaustion many people feel isn't just from their disease—it's amplified by stored trauma, nervous system dysregulation, and the survival mechanism of disconnecting from their body. True healing requires removing blocks at three levels simultaneously: addressing self-limiting beliefs through parts work, completing interrupted protective responses through somatic work, and supporting cellular function through biology interventions. When you provide support across all three levels, small interventions create remarkable shifts. Your body has innate healing capacity—when blocks are removed, it can reorganize, reset, and return to its best possible state, regardless of genetic vulnerabilities. Resources/Guides: The Biology of Trauma book - Available now everywhere books are sold. Get your copy Foundational Journey - If you are ready to create your inner safety and shift your nervous system, join me and my team for this 6 week journey of practical somatic and mind-body inner child practices. Lay your foundation to do the deeper work safely and is the pre-requisite for becoming a Biology of Trauma professional.. Related Episodes: Episode 118: How Practitioners Can Navigate Their Own Chronic Illness and Healing Journey Episode 128: How Attachment Trauma Drives Anxiety, Autoimmunity & Chronic Illness Related YouTube videos: Trauma: Genetic vs. Epigenetic Insights with Dr. Bruce Lipton | Dr. Aimie Apigian Your host: Dr. Aimie Apigian, double board-certified physician (Preventive/Addiction Medicine) with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health, revolutionizes trauma healing by revealing how our cells—not just our minds—store trauma. Her book "The Biology of Trauma" (foreword by Gabor Maté) transforms our understanding of how the body experiences and holds trauma. After adopting a child during medical school sparked her journey, she developed an integrative science-based sequence for the healing journey. Through her practitioner training, podcast, YouTube channel, and international speaking, she bridges functional medicine, attachment and trauma therapy, proving that repairing trauma's impact on the mind, body and biology is possible. Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical, psychological, or mental health advice to treat any medical or psychological condition in yourself or others. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own physician, therapist, psychiatrist, or other qualified health provider regarding any physical or mental health issues you may be experiencing. Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Please share your constructive feedback by using personal name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free, and let's keep the discussion positive!

You push through exhaustion, telling yourself it's just stress. Your body sends signals you can't ignore: chronic fatigue, unexplained pain, digestive issues, mood swings. What if these are messages about the emotional wounds that remain unresolved from your past? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Partha Nandi for a conversation on chronic health issues, share five key insights that transform how we understand trauma's biological impact. This episode gives you the core concepts from the new book, The Biology of Trauma, about how trauma impacts your body, your own biology maintains the survival state and the repair tools needed for healing. Key Topics & Timestamps: [00:50] Why I Wrote This Book: For the high-performing person who doesn't realize their body is accumulating trauma until a health crisis forces recognition [01:18] The 2014 Wake-Up Call: From marathon runner to unable to get out of bed during surgery residency - the moment everything changed [03:01] Trauma as Biology, Not Psychology: How adverse childhood experiences become measurable disease patterns decades later [04:29] The Biology of Being Stuck: Understanding functional freeze and why growth becomes impossible in trauma states [06:14] Science-Based Healing Pathways: Creating biology of safety through mitochondrial support, antioxidants, and repair tools [08:26] What Makes This Book Different: Bridging Western medicine with trauma healing using specific biomarkers and measurable changes [10:30] Beyond Trauma-Informed Awareness: Why awareness without actionable tools still fails patients and what to do instead [17:00] Insight #1 - Internal Response Matters: Trauma isn't the event - it's your body's five-step sequence during overwhelm [19:01] Insight #2 - The Critical Line: Your invisible boundary between experiences that grow you versus break you [21:23] Insight #3 - Cellular Trauma Reality: How mitochondria literally change shape and function during overwhelm [23:51] Insight #4 - Essential Sequence: Safety, support, then expansion - why most people skip the crucial first step [26:54] Insight #5 - Biology as Healing Ally: How the same systems holding trauma become your greatest recovery resource Main Takeaways: Trauma Becomes Biology: Adverse experiences create measurable changes in cellular function, mitochondrial energy production, and nervous system regulation that can manifest decades later Cell Danger Response: When overwhelm crosses a critical threshold, mitochondria physically change shape and switch to survival energy systems, creating chronic symptoms Universal Trauma Response Pattern: All overwhelming experiences follow the same five-step sequence - startle, stress, powerlessness, freeze, shutdown - regardless of the trigger Biological Markers Matter: Heart rate variability, mitochondrial function, and inflammatory markers provide objective evidence of trauma's cellular impact Critical Line of Overwhelm: Everyone has an invisible threshold between experiences that grow us versus break us, which shifts daily based on current capacity Essential Sequence for Healing: Recovery requires three phases - safety, support, then expansion - with most approaches failing by skipping biological safety first Integration is Required: Trauma affects mind, body, and biology simultaneously, requiring coordinated intervention across all levels for lasting change Personalized Repair Approach: Effective healing identifies individual biological blocks rather than applying generic protocols to complex trauma presentations Cellular Recovery is Possible: The same mitochondria that hold trauma patterns can restore optimal function when given proper conditions and support Notable Quotes "I wrote it really for the person who I used to be. I used to be the person who, despite all of my education, despite even being a very, I would say, high performing person, I didn't realize how much trauma my body was holding and I didn't realize it until I got very sick." "Your cells experience trauma too. You can't therapy or supplement your way out when your cells and body systems are stuck in survival mode." "Your mitochondria literally change shape, becoming round and rigid instead of long and flexible, and they switch to a backup energy system that produces less energy but can function under threat." "When you cross that critical line of overwhelm, your cells engage their own emergency break called the cell danger response. Just like your nervous system shuts down for protection, your cellular powerhouses, your mitochondria shift from efficient energy production to barely surviving." "Most people skip the safety phase though and jump straight into deep processing, and this often retraumatizes them." "Your symptoms are messengers, your reactions are information, and your healing journey becomes a collaboration with the incredible wisdom your body has been holding all along." "It gives me a language to explain myself, my trauma, and my experience to others." - Early Reader Episode Takeaway The Biology of Trauma book reveals how adverse experiences rewire cellular function through the cell danger response, causing mitochondria to shift into survival mode and creating chronic health problems years later. Understanding trauma's biological reality at the cellular level provides both validation for mysterious symptoms and specific repair tools. When mitochondria are stuck in survival mode, psychological interventions alone cannot restore optimal cellular function - healing requires addressing biological dysfunction through targeted mitochondrial support, reducing cellular inflammation, and following the essential sequence of safety, support, and expansion at the cellular level. This integrated approach bridges the gap between understanding trauma's impact and having actionable tools to address it, offering hope for those whose symptoms have resisted conventional treatment by targeting the root biological mechanisms where trauma actually lives. Resources Related To This Episode Resources/Guides: The Biology of Trauma book - Available now everywhere books are sold. Get your copy Related Episodes: Episode 122: Shutdown Before Stress: The Misstep in Trauma Healing That Often Gets Missed Episode 129: Why You're Still in Survival Mode (Even After Years of Therapy and Healing Work) Related YouTube videos: Why Your Body Is Wired for Danger: Understanding Trauma's Impact on Your Nervous System Mitochondria's Role in Trauma Work with Gabor Maté Your host: Dr. Aimie Apigian, double board-certified physician (Preventive/Addiction Medicine) with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health, revolutionizes trauma healing by revealing how our cells—not just our minds—store trauma. Her book "The Biology of Trauma" (foreword by Gabor Maté) transforms our understanding of how the body experiences and holds trauma. After adopting a child during medical school sparked her journey, she developed an integrative science-based sequence for the healing journey. Through her practitioner training, podcast, YouTube channel, and international speaking, she bridges functional medicine, attachment and trauma therapy, proving that repairing trauma's impact on the mind, body and biology is possible. Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical, psychological, or mental health advice to treat any medical or psychological condition in yourself or others. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your own physician, therapist, psychiatrist, or other qualified health provider regarding any physical or mental health issues you may be experiencing. Comment Etiquette: I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Please share your constructive feedback by using personal name or initials so that we can keep this space spam-free, and let's keep the discussion positive!