Most of us experienced unwanted events or circumstances when we were growing up that caused us significant emotional distress or physical pain. Whether it was a family death, illness, financial hardship, divorce, neglect, abuse, bullying, or any other traumatic event, these experiences left their mark.
In fact, many of us go through life reliving our childhood pain without even consciously realizing it. That’s because unhealed trauma can manifest as “triggers” in our day-to-day life, where we essentially feel old wounds being reactivated in present-moment scenarios.
“These triggers can be overwhelming and painful, and induce shame and guilt,” says Kelly Armatage, a somatic and cognitive therapist and DailyOM course creator.
The good news? It is possible to heal difficult memories and experiences so they have less power over you. In other words, overcoming stored trauma will not only help put your past pain to rest, but it will also help you live a more empowered, joyful, and connected life in the here and now.
Interested in learning more? Check out Overcoming Stored Trauma Triggers.
Meet Your Teacher: Kelly Armatage
Globally recognized in the field of psychological trauma and behavioral transformation, Kelly Armatage is a somatic and cognitive therapist, TEDx speaker, and the creator of the accredited therapy technique A.S.K. — a fusion of somatic and cognitive tools crafted to dismantle limiting beliefs and behavioral patterns. Throughout her 20 years of experience, she has held more than 15,000 one-on-one sessions with people worldwide, as well as led hundreds of healing seminars.
“What I love most about my work is helping individuals to fundamentally change their lives,” Armatage says. “This occurs through guiding others to release stored trauma and rewire unhelpful subconscious beliefs, emotions, and habits.”
What Is Stored Trauma?
Generally described as serious, painful experiences that occurred in childhood or at any other point, past trauma is something that’s an inevitable part of the human experience. “Every human being on the planet experiences past trauma in some way, and some people live through more than others,” Armatage explains.
The majority of us aren’t able to fully process our trauma in the moment — and so it gets stored in the body. “When we live through the initial emotional or physical hurt of a painful or traumatic event, we create an inner wound,” she tells us. “This unhealed wound is then stored within the cellular structure of the subconscious mind and body.”
As a result of this experience, we tend to create specific, painful beliefs about ourselves and/or others, and establish relevant coping mechanisms or learned behaviors, Armatage notes. “This unhealed wound can be triggered when present external stimuli is similar to the original pain,” she explains. “And it is re-enacted over and over through our beliefs, triggers, coping mechanisms, and behaviors, until the relevant healing work is undergone.”
Key Things to Understand About Stored Trauma
- Stored trauma is a universal experience. “Pretty much all people have stored trauma,” Armatage says. “It is unlikely for an individual to have experienced their whole life without pain and to have been protected from adversity.”
- Releasing trauma requires patience. “A wound is like an onion and it may take a little time to release each layer,” she adds. Be sure to give yourself grace during your healing journey.
- The process of letting go isn’t as difficult as you might think. “When an individual releases stored trauma, it can be slightly uncomfortable, as the person will come face-to-face with the emotional wound. However, I have observed clients fully release an entire wound in just one exercise or session,” Armatage shares. In other words, the ability to heal trauma is fully available to each of us.
- A supportive toolbox can facilitate the healing process with greater ease. Somatic and cognitive tools can be especially beneficial for helping us to identify stored trauma; become aware of subconscious thoughts, feeling, and behaviors; and navigate our emotional triggers, per Armatage. “A course can be wonderful, as can sessions with a therapist who is trained in somatic experiencing, EMDR, and/or brainspotting,” she says. In other words, seeking guidance from a healthcare professional is encouraged — it can help move your healing process forward.
Why Is Releasing Stored Trauma Important?
According to Armatage, living with stored trauma can be particularly burdensome, weighing us down on every level. “Unhealed past trauma will ensure continuing mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, OCD, hypervigilance, et cetera,” she says.
It also perpetuates unhealthy coping mechanisms and addiction, including overeating, drinking, smoking, and more, in an attempt to distract ourselves from the emotional overwhelm related to the triggers we experience.
Not surprisingly, holding onto past trauma spills over into our family life, friendships, and interactions with coworkers and others. “Unhealed triggers can lead to conflict in one’s relationships or repeating toxic relationships,” Armatage points out.
To identify where you might be holding onto trauma, Armatage suggests engaging in some simple reflection. “Look back on painful events of the past and check if there are judgmental perceptions in place. These negative perceptions will have a corresponding painful emotion and wound,” she says.
Additionally, it can be helpful to examine your current triggers, which Armatage says are another indication of stored trauma. If you notice these kinds of feelings or reactions, it’s a good indicator that you may need to look deeper into what traumas you have stored and pursue a healing path forward.
How Healing Stored Trauma Can Transform Your Physical, Mental, and Emotional Well-Being
When you free yourself from the grip of past trauma, your entire life will change for the better. Here, Armatage shares some of the major benefits of releasing stored pain.
1. You’ll have healthier, happier, more connected relationships
When we’re unconsciously reliving our past trauma, we tend to be emotionally reactive and volatile — which is why healing your past will help you navigate your current relationships with less conflict.
You’ll also develop what’s known as an accountability mindset, where you take responsibility for the life circumstances you experience, as opposed to feeling like a victim all the time, Armatage adds. “This mindset will improve conflict resolution and connection in relationships,” she notes.
2. You’ll feel more emotionally balanced and in control
As you work on healing stored trauma, you foster your emotional intelligence and gain awareness of your feelings, per Armatage.
This helps you feel more in control of your emotions — and less reactive — on a moment-to-moment basis. You’ll be more likely to pause and reflect before responding, as opposed to just blurting out whatever comes to mind first.
One study, for example, linked childhood abuse with brain health, finding that subjects developed poor impulse control in adulthood.
3. You’ll be able to release unhealthy coping mechanisms and behaviors
While it’s natural for us to develop coping mechanisms in response to severe emotional distress, most of these behaviors are detrimental to our cognitive health and overall well-being.
“Healing your trauma and triggers ensures less of an inclination to distract and carry out unhealthy behaviors in order to cope,” Armatage says. Coping mechanisms can range from simple everyday behaviors like doom scrolling or binge watching TV to severe addictions.
For example, according to one study, men with gambling addictions are more likely to have experienced childhood trauma, such as physical abuse or witnessing violence in the home.
4. You’ll greatly reduce your anxiety levels and improve your physical health and energy levels
Many of us are being weighed down by our past negative experiences without knowing it. But when you finally process that trauma, it enhances every aspect of your physical and mental health, Armatage says.
As you create more and more emotional well-being, you may gently heal and release mental health concerns, such as situational depression and anxiety.
What’s more, as you release emotional stressors, your physical health benefits, too. According to research, confronting trauma and stress-related emotions, such as anxiety and depression, helped older veterans find relief from chronic pain.
Another meta-analysis linked severe physical trauma in childhood to poor health later in life and decreased longevity.
It’s also worth mentioning that studies linking stored trauma to physical ailments, including a greater risk for fertility issues, asthma, and more, continue to mount — and is only more evidence that embracing healing can lead to positive outcomes.
5. You’ll create more success and abundance in your life
Healing your stored trauma and triggers changes your entire way of thinking — cultivating a powerful shift in perspective that helps you to create more of a success mindset, where you feel empowered to take your life into your own hands, Armatage notes.
When you lean away from victimhood and into empowerment, you’re more likely to take heart-centered action and pursue your goals in a healthy way.
6. Your self-esteem and confidence will improve
When we’re living with stored trauma, there is a tendency to feel like we’re walking under a perpetual cloud of guilt and shame. And when we feel “bad” about ourselves, or like something is “wrong” with our very being, we want to shrink and hide instead of allowing the full expression of ourselves to emerge.
This is why healing your past leads to higher self-esteem and self-confidence, says Armatage. You’ll likely experience a heightened sense of self-worth, appreciation for yourself, and self-compassion.
The Bottom Line
We’ve all experienced trauma in our past — and it’s up to us whether we’re ready to let it go. It takes courage and a willingness to go within to heal, and having the right support in place may help us find peace and resolution sooner than we once thought possible. Know this: There’s always hope and light at the end of the tunnel if you embrace this journey.
