The Vagal Brake, Explained: Polyvagal Theory

Being triggered means your body loses access to safety and shifts into defense because it picked up something as danger, sometimes something nobody else around you would even notice. And it's possible to come out of being stuck while you're still being triggered, not by avoiding your triggers or forcing them away, but by building enough safety to meet them in small doses and recover. You'll hear where triggers come from, why the same one can roll off you one day and set you off the next, how being triggered differs from your body picking up real danger, and the three-step practice I use with clients.In this episode:- What being triggered is, and how neuroception shifts your state before you're aware of it- How a harmless sound, smell or color from a traumatic event can become a trigger later- What researchers measured in the bodies of people with PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) when they heard trauma reminders- Why the same trigger hits harder when you're already in a defensive state- How being triggered differs from your body accurately picking up real danger- Why avoiding triggers keeps them triggers, and what it means when an old one flares up again- A three-step practice: build safety first, spend a brief moment with the trigger, then come back and recoverThis episode is educational and isn't medical advice or a substitute for therapy. The practice is easier with a therapist guiding you, and if a trigger climbs past about a 5 out of 10, stop and go back to safety.If you're not safe where you live: in the U.S., the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or thehotline.org. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists domestic violence helplines by country: https://findahelpline.com/topics/abuse-domestic-violence. If you're in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.Related episodes:- Neuroception, Explained: Polyvagal Theory- Co-Regulation, Explained: Polyvagal Theory- How Long Does Dorsal Vagal Shutdown Last, and Can It Hurt You?Sources:- Neuroception, Stephen Porges's term for sensing safety and danger below awareness: Porges SW. Neuroception: a subconscious system for detecting threats and safety. Zero to Three. 2004;24(5):19-24.- People with PTSD react more to trauma reminders, with heart rate standing out across study types (a meta-analysis of more than 100 study sets): Pole N. The psychophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder: a meta-analysis. Psychol Bull. 2007;133(5):725-746. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.5.725- Combat sounds, Vietnam veterans with PTSD and non-veterans; heart rate alone sorted 95% of the 22 men correctly: Blanchard EB, Kolb LC, Pallmeyer TP, Gerardi RJ. A psychophysiological study of post traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans. Psychiatr Q. 1982;54(4):220-229. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01064817- Veterans with PTSD had bigger jumps in heart rate, sweating and adrenaline when they heard combat sounds: Liberzon I, Abelson JL, Flagel SB, Raz J, Young EA. Neuroendocrine and psychophysiologic responses in PTSD: a symptom provocation study. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1999;21(1):40-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(98)00128-6- The fire alarm example ("I started crying and I didn't even understand why I was crying"; she was "locked in a tiny room with 60 other students" while "the fire alarm was going off the entire time"): Business Insider, "19 years later, Columbine High School massacre survivors say they still struggle and have debilitating anxiety" (2018), via Yahoo News. https://www.yahoo.com/news/19-years-later-columbine-high-153526870.html- Fear spreads to things that only partly resemble the original danger cue (combat veterans with PTSD): Kaczkurkin AN, Burton PC, Chazin SM, et al. Neural substrates of overgeneralized conditioned fear in PTSD. Am J Psychiatry. 2017;174(2):125-134. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.15121549- Earlier stress made rats react to a single mild shock with much more fear (an animal model of PTSD): Rau V, DeCola JP, Fanselow MS. Stress-induced enhancement of fear learning: an animal model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2005;29(8):1207-1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2005.04.010- A faded fear isn't erased; new learning sits on top of it, and the old fear can return in a new setting or with time: Bouton ME. Context and behavioral processes in extinction. Learn Mem. 2004;11(5):485-494. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.78804- Exposure therapy and the inhibitory learning approach, which recommends removing safety signals such as another person or the therapist: Craske MG, Treanor M, Conway CC, Zbozinek T, Vervliet B. Maximizing exposure therapy: an inhibitory learning approach. Behav Res Ther. 2014;58:10-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006- Spider pictures shown too briefly to consciously register reduced avoidance of a live tarantula, right away and a day later, without causing distress: Siegel P, Gallagher KA. Delaying in vivo exposure to a tarantula with very brief exposure to phobic stimuli. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2015;46:182-188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2014.10.005- The same very brief exposure reduced avoidance without raising skin conductance (a sweat measure of arousal) or distress: Siegel P, Warren R, Jacobson G, Merritt E. Masking exposure to phobic stimuli reduces fear without inducing electrodermal activity. Psychophysiology. 2018;55(5):e13045. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.13045- Brain scans during very brief exposure showed activity in regions involved in fear extinction and emotion regulation: Siegel P, Wang Z, Murray L, et al. Brain-based mediation of non-conscious reduction of phobic avoidance in young women during functional MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): a randomised controlled experiment. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(11):971-981. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30285-6- Systematic desensitization, pairing a feared thing with a calm body in small steps: Wolpe J. Psychotherapy by Reciprocal Inhibition. Stanford University Press; 1958.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Shutdown comes in two very different forms. The full collapse, like fainting, evolved to be brief, and the common kind of fainting doesn't add long-term risk to your heart. The heavy, gray, numb kind can last months or years, because people get stuck in it, not because it has to be permanent. You'll hear how shutdown differs from freeze, why mammals can't stay collapsed the way reptiles can, what long-term shutdown can cost your health, and why coming out of it often feels like irritability before it feels like calm. Then three practices to start with, beginning with the easiest.In this episode:- What dorsal vagal shutdown is, and how it differs from freeze- Why reptiles can stay immobile for a long time and mammals can't- How long fainting and other acute shutdowns last, and when fainting is a medical emergency- How people get stuck in long-term shutdown, and what it can cost your health- Why coming out of shutdown often feels like irritability or anger first- Three practices: passive safety cues, allowing the shutdown mindfully, and co-regulationI'm a therapist, not a doctor. This episode is educational and isn't medical advice. If you faint, especially with chest pain, a pounding or irregular heartbeat, during exercise or while lying down, get medical care.Sources:- Fainting, how long it lasts, and when to call for emergency help: NHS (UK National Health Service), "Fainting." https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/fainting/- Vasovagal syncope: Mayo Clinic, "Vasovagal syncope: Symptoms and causes." https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vasovagal-syncope/symptoms-causes/syc-20350527- Fainting and long-term heart risk (Framingham Heart Study): Soteriades ES, Evans JC, Larson MG, et al. Incidence and prognosis of syncope. N Engl J Med. 2002;347(12):878-885. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa012407- Playing dead lasts seconds to hours: Humphreys RK, Ruxton GD. A review of thanatosis (death feigning) as an anti-predator behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 2018;72(2):22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-017-2436-8- Playing dead depends on the danger around the animal: Carli G, Farabollini F. Tonic immobility as a survival, adaptive response and as a recovery mechanism. Prog Brain Res. 2022;271(1):305-329. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.02.012- Loneliness, isolation and early death: Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Baker M, Harris T, Stephenson D. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2015;10(2):227-237. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352- Heart disease, stroke, dementia, and the 15-cigarettes comparison: U.S. Surgeon General. Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023). https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf- Depression and outcomes after a heart attack: Lichtman JH, Froelicher ES, Blumenthal JA, et al. Depression as a risk factor for poor prognosis among patients with acute coronary syndrome: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2014;129(12):1350-1369. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000019- The vagus nerve and the brain-gut connection: Breit S, Kupferberg A, Rogler G, Hasler G. Vagus nerve as modulator of the brain-gut axis in psychiatric and inflammatory disorders. Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:44. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00044- Brain and gut affect each other over 12 years (anxiety predicted new gut problems; gut problems predicted more anxiety and depression): Koloski NA, Jones M, Kalantar J, et al. The brain-gut pathway in functional gastrointestinal disorders is bidirectional: a 12-year prospective population-based study. Gut. 2012;61(9):1284-1290. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2011-300474- IBS and depression or anxiety: Zamani M, Alizadeh-Tabari S, Zamani V. Systematic review with meta-analysis: the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2019;50(2):132-143. https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15325- Depression and inflammation: Dowlati Y, Herrmann N, Swardfager W, et al. A meta-analysis of cytokines in major depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2010;67(5):446-457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.09.033- Depression and type 2 diabetes: Mezuk B, Eaton WW, Albrecht S, Golden SH. Depression and type 2 diabetes over the lifespan: a meta-analysis. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(12):2383-2390. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc08-0985- The turtle image: Deb Dana, from my interview with her, "Deb Dana Interview: Story Follows State, Climbing the Ladder and Diagnosing" (Stuck Not Broken, Episode 29, August 27, 2019).👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

This is the last episode of Book One, and before you move on, it’s worth checking where you actually stand. You’ll get the questions you should be able to answer by now, and three mindsets to find yourself in: curious about your growth, sick of feeling this way, or close to giving up. Each one points to a different next step, and none of them is wrong. You’ll also hear what Books Two and Three cover, so you know what you’re signing up for.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Eight sentences. That’s all your new narrative needs. This episode walks you through the exercise one step at a time, from naming your dominant defensive state to adding hope, with three examples of how it sounds put together. You’ll also hear why keeping it short matters, and why digging through every painful memory right now isn’t necessary and can even work against you.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Most people believe change is possible. The harder question is whether you believe it’s possible for you. This episode makes the case that the belief you can’t change isn’t a fact but a story that reflects the state you’re in, and shows you the proof already in front of you: other people have changed, you’ve changed before, and you’re changing now. You’ll also hear the difference between thinking you can change and actually feeling it.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Stuck and broken are two very different problems, and which one you believe you are changes everything about what comes next. This is the title chapter. You’ll hear why every one of us is running on the same biological hardware no matter how different our lives look, what it means to call your trauma a stuck state rather than a defect, and why the stuck point you’re in right now is the hopeful part. You’ll also hear why the next one, after this, isn’t failure. It’s just what growth looks like.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

You already know what Bill does. This episode is about what's underneath it: the stories he tells himself, the things he keeps quiet, and the beliefs he never chose. You'll learn what a cognitive adaptation is, how the same mental habit sounds completely different depending on the state you're in, why humans isolate and keep secrets when animals don't, and how the beliefs handed to you can block the very pulls that would bring you toward safety. It ends with one question for you: how do you keep yourself stuck?A note before you listen: from about 5:42 to 9:52, this episode talks in general terms about abuse, perpetrators, and victim-blaming.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Wild animals live with danger every day and don't get traumatized. So why do you stay stuck? In this episode, you'll meet Bill, a father, husband, and business owner who can't see what's driving him. You'll also learn the two ways we keep ourselves stuck without noticing: we ignore the body's self-regulation impulses, and we reach for behaviors that let us avoid feeling what's actually there. Part 2 picks up the stories we tell ourselves.Chapters0:00 Why Wild Animals Don't Stay Traumatized0:41 Meet Justin & About This Audiobook1:43 Last Time: Co-Regulation2:02 Why Humans Stay Stuck in Trauma4:10 Meet Bill5:52 Bill, All Grown Up8:25 Ignoring Self-Regulation Impulses10:25 The Impulses Bill Ignores12:26 Behavioral Adaptations Keep You Stuck14:42 Bill's Behavioral Adaptation: Overworking15:15 Next Time: The Stories We Tell Ourselves👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Your nervous system doesn't just calm down on its own — more often than you realize, it borrows the calm from somebody else. This episode covers co-regulation: the specific cues your body sends and reads without you ever thinking about it, eye contact, tone of voice, the tilt of a head, what it means if you don't have a self-regulated person in every part of your life, and what actually happened, biologically, in the room with Maria before her hands ever moved.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Sometimes the most useful information in the therapy room isn't in what someone says; it's in their hands. This episode breaks down self-regulation on a nervous system level: the two main ways we do it, top-down (thoughts) and bottom-up (body), why top-down tricks work in the moment but don't solve anything on their own, and a session with a client whose hands were saying something her voice wasn't.👉 New here? Find your stuck state, and your starting place: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuckOr go straight to what's best for you:👉Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/join?invitation_token=25c72b8c15987838a4a6bcc54b1bd652d520420c-d23357d7-4381-4003-be61-c1f4f0bb538d📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the show?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books🎧Practice on your own, free, no account, no card: https://app.stucknotbroken.com/?start=practice&src=podcast👥Prefer company? Move through it alongside others in the Unstucking Academy. $39/month, cancel anytime: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.✅ Crisis resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741Call 911 for an emergencyThis and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)