Episode 21: What if You're Not Sure if You've Had Trauma? with Dr. Aimie Apigian

Listen to Episode 21 with Rhonda →

When High-Functioning Becomes High-Cost

"Trauma? I don't have trauma, right?" If you've said this to yourself, you're not alone. Many high-functioning people don't recognize their own trauma until their body forces them to stop.

You keep going and push harder. You pride yourself on resilience and toughness. You look at others who've had "real trauma" and think your experiences don't count.

Meanwhile, your body has been keeping score.

Rhonda joins me today as a 23-year veteran of the Chicago police department. She went from being The Energizer Bunny to experiencing a serious health crash, and she'll break down how she finally recognized her stored trauma.

The Pattern That Looks Like Strength

Rhonda spent 23 years in the police department constantly exposed to others' trauma. She witnessed violence, held dying people, and absorbed the worst of human experience. She always pushed through and never stopped to process what she carried.

This is the Energizer Bunny pattern that so many first responders and helping professionals know well. You keep going no matter what. You push harder when things get tough. You ignore your body's signals because people need you. You think this is resilience and strength.

But this isn't resilience. This is your nervous system in overdrive with no off switch. This is your body staying in survival mode because it never got the signal that the danger passed. This is stored trauma accumulating while you tell yourself you're fine.

High-functioning people often dismiss their own trauma because they compare themselves to others. They think trauma requires a specific type of event like abuse or near-death experiences. They don't recognize that trauma can be the accumulation of powerlessness, vicarious trauma from witnessing others' pain, or events where they couldn't control the outcome.

Rhonda thought she was handling everything well because she kept functioning at a high level. She didn't realize her body was storing what she never processed.

When Your Body Says Enough

Rhonda's health crashed hard after decades of pushing through. This wasn't because she was weak but because her body had been holding trauma for 23 years with no opportunity to release it.

Fatigue hit first, then pain followed, and illness that wouldn't resolve appeared. Her body forced what her mind kept ignoring. This is how the Biology of Trauma® works when you override your nervous system's signals for too long.

Your body will get your attention eventually through exhaustion you can't push through, pain that won't go away, illness that defies medical explanation, emotional overwhelm that seems to come from nowhere, or complete system shutdown that forces you to stop.

These aren't random symptoms or signs of weakness. They're your biology saying something needs addressing. Your nervous system has been trying to tell you for years but you kept pushing through. Now it's speaking loudly enough that you can't ignore it anymore.

Recognizing What You've Been Carrying

Rhonda took the 21-Day Journey and learned her body had been storing what she never processed. The biology spoke louder than her denial. She discovered that trauma doesn't always look dramatic in the moment but its effects accumulate.

For first responders like police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, vicarious trauma is occupational. They carry others' worst moments. They witness what most people never see. They think it doesn't affect them because they're trained to stay professional and detached.

Their bodies tell a different story. The nervous system doesn't distinguish between direct trauma and vicarious trauma. When you witness violence repeatedly, your biology responds. When you absorb others' pain daily, your nervous system gets dysregulated. When you're constantly exposed to situations where you can't save everyone, powerlessness gets stored in your cells.

Understanding the Biology of Trauma® helped Rhonda recognize what she'd been dismissing for decades. Her high-functioning pattern wasn't proof she was fine but evidence of how hard her nervous system was working to keep her moving forward despite being overwhelmed.

The health crash wasn't failure but her body's communication that it needed different support. That recognition opened the door to actual healing rather than just pushing through.

This Episode Is For:

✓ High-functioning people who dismiss their own trauma 

✓ First responders and helping professionals carrying vicarious trauma 

✓ Anyone whose body crashed after years of pushing through 

✓ People who compare their experiences and decide they don't count 

✓ Those wondering if their health issues connect to unprocessed trauma 

✓ Anyone who's been The Energizer Bunny and paid the price

What You'll Learn

Listen to understand how trauma hides in high-functioning patterns and why your body's breakdown might be trying to tell you something important. Discover how vicarious trauma affects first responders biologically. Learn why dismissing your own trauma doesn't make it go away.

If you're not sure whether you've had trauma, your body knows the answer.

Listen to Episode 21 with Rhonda →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

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