• Over explaining/justifying
• People-pleasing/appeasing
• Hypervigilance/always on edge
• Emotional exhaustion/burnout
• Shutdown/numbness
• Brain fog/can’t think clearly
• Decision paralysis/second-guessing
• Overwhelm/procrastination loops
• Shame spirals/self-blame
• Avoiding help (calls /appointments /messages)
These are signs of learned survival responses, not personal failures.
When life is emotionally unsafe or unpredictable, the nervous system stays in protection mode to keep you functioning.
Healing begins when these patterns are understood and gently supported, not judged or forced away.