05/11/2025
Thought of the day: If you're healing from trauma and suddenly feel more anger, it might not be a step back—it could be a sign of progress.
Anger is your body's way of saying "this was a violation." It means you're moving from the "freeze" response into a more active, empowered state.
The key is to channel it into small, decisive actions. Your anger has something important to tell you. Listen to it.
People who suffer from Complex PTSD often experience a series of events in which the power structure dehumanizes and abuses them. Most often, the system offers no recourse, correction, or apology. Such unresolved trespasses can accumulate and compound over time.
When we become angry instead of numb, it's actually a sign of progress! Numbing/not reacting/shut-down is the "freeze" response. Our limbic system freezes when there is no other viable option. Our early environments taught us there was no way out; shut-down was the safest survival adaptation.
But once we are resourced enough we can leave the freeze response and move into "fight," which is active and powerful. Our anger is likely to increase, which can be disconcerting, especially when we are taught it's bad/wrong or even dangerous to express anger. (This is mainstream culture!)
But anger is our body's natural and normal response to violations or perceived violations. This can seem dangerous, but with a little knowledge and focused attention, we can direct our anger in healthful ways that improve our quality of life.
For instance, whenever I feel rage over the medical abuse I endured, I take one small step toward creating justice. I write a paragraph, look up a potential ally, or add some data to the file.
One small decisive act can bring us out of impotent rage or despair and help us move toward a better future.
