“When trauma gets triggered you don’t act your age, you act the age the wound was created.” — Gabor Maté
When a trauma wound is activated, your system does not respond from your present-day self. It responds from the age you were when the hurt first happened.
This is why a calm conversation can suddenly feel overwhelming, or why you might shut down, panic, or lash out in ways that do not feel like “you.” It is not a failure. It’s often a protective part or a younger part trying to keep you safe.
When you begin to recognise these moments as emotional time travel, everything changes. You stop blaming yourself and start to make sense to yourself.
Healing is not about forcing yourself to “act your age.” It is about meeting the younger you with the safety and compassion they never had.
Love, Jen 🪷
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