Episode 48: How to Heal Bracing and Hypervigilance with Cat Dillon

Listen to Episode 48 with Cat Dillon →

When Your Body Never Relaxes

Your shoulders are perpetually tight and your jaw clenches without you realizing it. You notice you're holding your breath multiple times throughout the day. People tell you to relax but you don't know how because this tension feels normal to you.

Bracing isn't about being tense from stress but about your body holding on for survival constantly. Cat Dillon lived with chronic bracing patterns from childhood trauma for years without understanding what was happening.

Then a panic attack while driving across a bridge changed everything for her. That was her turning point when she had to understand what her body was doing and why it wouldn't let go.

Today Cat shares her personal healing process, how she learned to recognize bracing in her system, and what it took to finally let her body soften after decades of chronic tension.

Understanding Chronic Bracing Patterns

Your body holds tension as protection from anticipated threat. Bracing prepares you for impact that never comes but your system expects constantly. It becomes your baseline state without you realizing that other people don't live with this level of muscle tension.

Cat's bracing started early in childhood when her nervous system learned to stay guarded constantly. To never fully relax because relaxation meant vulnerability to harm. That protective pattern ran for decades as her default way of moving through the world.

Bracing and hypervigilance go together as two sides of the same protective coin. Your body scans for danger constantly through hypervigilance. Your muscles never get to rest because they're always prepared for threat through bracing. This combination exhausts your entire system over time.

Understanding the Biology of Trauma® reveals why bracing becomes chronic when trauma isn't resolved. Your nervous system continues running the protective program that kept you safer as a child. The physical bracing reflects the emotional and psychological guardedness that trauma created.

The Turning Point That Forced Change

Driving across a bridge triggered a full panic attack for Cat that she couldn't ignore or push through. Her body finally forced her to pay attention to what had been building for years. This crisis became her turning point toward healing.

Cat had to learn what her body was actually doing beneath her conscious awareness. Why it braced in situations that weren't actually dangerous. What it needed to feel safe enough to let go of decades of protective tension.

Years of chronic bracing create physical problems that compound over time. Pain develops in chronically tight muscles. Fatigue results from constant muscle activation. Restricted breathing limits oxygen and creates more anxiety. Your body can't sustain this level of tension indefinitely without consequences.

Chronic tension patterns from bracing affect every system in your body including your digestion, your sleep quality, your immune function, and your overall energy levels. The physical cost of unresolved trauma shows up clearly in the chronic muscle tension that won't release.

The Path to Actually Healing Bracing

Healing bracing isn't about relaxation techniques or being told to just let go. It's about addressing the trauma that made bracing necessary for survival in the first place. Your nervous system needs a different message about safety before your muscles can release.

Cat shares what actually helped her beyond temporary relief methods. Not quick fixes or surface solutions but real nervous system work that let her body soften gradually over time. She had to build safety in her system before her body would risk the vulnerability of relaxing.

The strategies that worked for Cat involved working with her Biology of Trauma® directly. Building nervous system capacity to handle the vulnerability that comes with letting go of bracing. Creating internal and external conditions where her body could finally trust it was safe to soften. Processing the trauma that taught her system to stay perpetually guarded.

If you recognize yourself in Cat's story of chronic bracing and hypervigilance, you're not alone in this experience. Many people live with chronic muscle tension they don't realize stems from unresolved trauma. Understanding the connection between your bracing patterns and your trauma history is the first step toward healing.

Cat's journey demonstrates that healing chronic bracing is possible but requires addressing the root cause rather than just managing symptoms. When you work with your nervous system's need for safety and process the trauma creating the guardedness, your body can finally release the protective tension it's been holding for years or decades.

This Episode Is For:

✓ People who hold tension in their body constantly 

✓ Anyone with chronic pain, jaw clenching, or tight shoulders 

✓ Those who recognize hypervigilance running in the background of their life 

✓ People whose body won't relax no matter what they try 

✓ Anyone with chronic muscle tension that seems disconnected from current stress 

✓ Those ready to understand the trauma roots of their physical bracing

What You'll Learn

Listen to hear Cat's story and understand how childhood trauma creates chronic bracing patterns that persist for decades. Discover what it takes to help your body finally soften when bracing has become your baseline state. Learn why addressing the trauma underneath is essential for releasing chronic physical tension.

Your body is bracing against old threats that your nervous system hasn't learned are over yet.

Listen to Episode 48 with Cat Dillon →

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.

Join the Conversation

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?

Please keep comments respectful and supportive. This is a community of people committed to healing. We welcome diverse perspectives and honest questions, but we don't tolerate personal attacks, spam, or content that could harm others on their healing journey.