Name: Signs You're Bottling Up Your Emotions
Uploaded: 2025-08-15T18:20:34.000Z
Duration: 7 min 2 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

You're feeling great and then one day something triggers a memory of your trauma and it resurfaces.

You thought you had healed but this one thing sets you off and now you're left wondering how can I tell if I've truly healed or if I'm just bottling it up.

It can be tough to tell the difference because your brain suppresses the trauma to protect you.

In this video we'll uncover 5 signs that you might be bottling up your trauma and not be fully healed.

Also stick to the end for basic tips to begin your healing journey. 1.

Emotional Numbness When you're bottling up your trauma, you might experience emotional numbness where it feels like you're just going through the motions without actually feeling anything.

According to a study from Verywell Health, emotional numbing can make it hard to reconnect with others or enjoy things you once loved.

It's as if you're living in a fog, disconnected from your true emotions.

Some people might think this emotional numbness and isolation is just who they are, believing I prefer to be alone or I'm just a lone wolf.

But the truth is, this disconnection may be a sign of unresolved trauma, not just a preference for solitude.

On the other hand, someone who has truly healed may experience a deeper emotional connection, where they feel their emotions more clearly and are able to engage fully with the world around them.

If you're truly healed, you're likely able to embrace emotions, even painful ones, without shutting them off. 2.

Unexplained Physical Symptoms Trauma doesn't just live in your mind, it hides in your body too.

A 2022 study revealed that individuals with severe PTSD, especially stemming from childhood trauma, often experience a co-occurrence of somatic symptoms, such as persistent physical pain or discomfort.

It's your body's way of saying, pay attention to me.

When someone is truly healing, those physical symptoms begin to ease.

Healing means listening to your body instead of ignoring it.

Over time, as emotional wounds are processed, the physical tension caused by the trauma gets released. 3.

Difficulty Forming or Maintaining Relationships Relationships are often a mirror of our emotional state, and unresolved trauma can distort that reflection.

If you're bottling up trauma, you might find it hard to trust others, struggle with intimacy, or encounter frequent conflicts.

According to a 2004 study, this can happen because your core interpersonal needs like love, safety, trust, validation, and acceptance weren't fully met at some point in your life.

As a result, you may find yourself stuck in cycles of self-sabotage or overly clinging to people out of fear of abandonment.

By contrast, someone who has truly healed approaches relationships with a sense of security and self-worth.

Healing allows you to trust again without fear, while also being discerning, set healthy boundaries, and embrace vulnerability without questioning your value. 4.

Overreacting to Minor Triggers Do you ever find yourself suddenly lashing out or feeling disproportionately upset over something small?

It could be a certain sound, a specific phrase, or even someone touching you in a particular way.

These seemingly minor occurrences can provoke intense reactions that might surprise even you.

This isn't just about being too sensitive.

According to the Integrative Life Center, overreactions like these are often tied to repressed childhood trauma.

These triggers unconsciously resurface memories of past events that you haven't fully processed.

Your heightened emotional response isn't random, it's your body and mind sounding an alarm, reminding you that there is an unresolved wound beneath the surface.

When trauma is bottled up, it sits in your nervous system, ready to react as if the original threat is still present.

Meanwhile, if you're truly healed, you can experience similar triggers without being overwhelmed.

Instead of reacting with hostility or panic, you respond with awareness, grounding yourself in the present moment. 5.

Memory Gaps Do you feel like parts of your childhood or key life moments are just missing?

This phenomenon, known as dissociative amnesia, is more than forgetfulness, it's your brain's way of protecting you.

When faced with overwhelming trauma, your mind can block out painful memories to help you survive.

According to choosing therapy, this is especially common among people who experienced abuse or neglect in childhood.

By walling off these memories, your brain shields you from the emotional pain they hold.

But over time, this protective mechanism can backfire, leaving you disconnected from your past.

What's challenging is that these forgotten pieces don't always stay hidden, they might resurface unexpectedly, perhaps through triggers, dreams, or sudden flashes of memory, often in fragmented ways that leave you wondering, is this real?

This uncertainty can feel unsettling and isolating.

When trauma remains bottled up, memory gaps can create a sense of disconnection, as though parts of your story are missing.

True healing, however, involves gently piecing those fragments together, finding clarity, and reconnecting with your past so you can reclaim your narrative.

If these five signs speak to you, and you admit there's still some trauma to release, then congrats, your final healing journey has just begun.

Recognizing the signs of repressed trauma is crucial, but true healing starts when you take deliberate action.

Whether it's journaling just five minutes a day to reconnect with your emotions, or reaching out to a trusted friend or trauma therapist to build a supportive network.

Healing isn't a solo journey, and surrounding yourself with compassionate people is essential.

Another powerful tool is grounding yourself in the present moment, through mindfulness, letting go of past worries and future anxieties.

Take a deep breath, let go of everything else for a moment, and appreciate the sense of life filling your lungs.

These aren't just tips, they're first steps towards your freedom.

Healing takes time, but you have the strength within you to release the past and embrace the blissful life you deserve.

Watch this video to know what trauma does to your brain.