PTSD, Peace, and the Path Back to Yourself
- Soul Journey
- Apr 21
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 24
PTSD is a term we hear often—usually connected to war zones, first responders, or major life-threatening events. But the truth is, the experience behind those four letters is far more common—and far more human—than many realize.
As someone who served two tours in combat, I’ve seen the deep impact PTSD can have on veterans. But I’ve also watched friends, family, clients, and strangers carry their own invisible trauma—without a uniform, without a diagnosis, and too often, without support.
So let’s begin with this truth: PTSD isn’t a disorder. It’s a natural response.
What PTSD Actually Is
PTSD belongs in the conversation of everyday life—because trauma happens in everyday life. PTSD is a response to overwhelm that the body never got to process. It’s not a character flaw or a mental weakness—it’s your body doing its best to survive something that felt threatening, scary, or soul-shaking.
And that “something” doesn’t have to be extreme. It just has to be too much for too long with too little support.
A Reframe: Not a Disorder, But Dis-regulation
The term “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” implies something broken—something wrong with you. But what if it’s not a disorder at all?
What if it’s just your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect you?
PTSD is better understood as nervous system dis-regulation—a shift in your body’s settings that once kept you alive, but now keeps you stuck in a state of hypervigilance, collapse, or emotional shutdown. It’s like the dial got turned way up… and your body hasn’t felt safe enough to turn it back down.
You’re not broken. You’re wise. Your body just needs to know it’s safe now.
How Nervous System Dis-regulation Shows Up
This kind of survival programming isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s a slow hum beneath the surface. You might notice:
Hypervigilance, anxiety, or jumpiness
Avoidance of places, people, or memories
Nightmares, flashbacks, or insomnia
Trouble sleeping or staying asleep
Chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, muscle tension, or digestive issues
Physical tension, pain, or unexplained exhaustion
Emotional flooding or total numbness
Panic, irritability, or anxiety without a clear cause
Avoiding certain people, places, or conversations
Difficulty focusing, remembering, or being present
Feeling disconnected from your body, your joy, or your purpose
A sense that you’re always bracing for something—even if you don’t know what
How It Begins
This protective shift in your nervous system can be triggered by:
Combat or violence
Accidents, medical trauma, or sudden loss
Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
Chronic stress, neglect, or systemic injustice
Birth trauma, miscarriage, or fertility struggles
Living in fear or instability
Witnessing someone else suffer
Spiritual trauma or identity loss
It doesn’t matter how “big” the event was. What matters is how it landed in your body—and whether you had the support you needed at the time.
This Affects All of Us
While veterans and first responders are often front and center in PTSD discussions, this pattern of dis-regulation exists across all walks of life:
Parents who’ve carried too much for too long
Children raised in unpredictability or fear
Teachers and school staff on the edge of burnout
Healthcare workers living in constant crisis mode
Clergy and counselors holding collective grief
Partners in toxic or emotionally unsafe relationships
Students navigating isolation, bullying, or academic pressure
Neighbors who survived hurricanes, fires, or loss
Trauma doesn’t ask your job title.
It just happens—and stays—until we help it move. You don’t have to carry the title “traumatized” to be affected by trauma. You just have to be human.
Simple Tools to Reconnect & Regulate
Before we "fix" anything, the first step is giving your system permission to settle, and we must give the nervous system something it rarely receives: Safety.
Here are a few somatic tools you can use right now to begin telling your body: “You’re safe.”
1. Grounded Breath - Place one hand on your belly, the other on your chest. Breathe slowly and deeply, watching your belly rise and fall.
Inhale for 4 counts → Hold for 4 → Exhale for 4 → Hold for 4.
Repeat 3–5 rounds. It tells your brain: “I am safe now.”
Breathe into your belly. Let the exhale be longer than the inhale. This calms the fight-or-flight loop and brings your nervous system back into balance. This tells your system, “We’re not in danger now.”
2. 5-4-3-2-1 Orienting - Look around. Find 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. It re-centers your awareness in the present moment. Feel the texture of something soft. Notice a scent you enjoy. These are real-time signals to your body that you are no longer in danger.
3. Shake It Off - Stand and gently shake out your arms, legs, and spine for 30–60 seconds. Let your body release what it's been holding. Literally. Shake your hands, your legs, your whole body like a dog after a bath. This discharges stuck energy and helps complete the stress cycle.
4. Gentle Weight or Containment - Lay under a weighted blanket or curl up in a small space. Use pressure or compression to help your system feel “held” and safe.
5. Dry Brushing or Tactile Input - Using a natural bristle brush or a textured cloth, lightly brush your skin from limbs inward. This reconnects you to your body’s boundaries and energy flow and reconnects your awareness to your physical boundaries—especially after feeling emotionally flooded.
6. Self-Holding - Cross your arms over your chest or shoulders and gently squeeze. Say inwardly, “I’m here. I’ve got you.” It may sound simple, but the body often longs for reassurance.
Our Nervous System Reset Experience
At Soul Journey, we don’t talk you through your story. We create an environment where your body gets to do what it knows how to do: Restore balance.
Our Nervous System Reset sessions include:
A heated, extra-wide massage table or Thai mat for full-body comfort
Weighted blankets, hot towels, and dry brushing for somatic support
Optional ASMR-style sensory experiences with curated scents, sounds, and textures—or complete silence, with only a trickling water fountain in the background
A space where you’re not analyzed—you’re honored
Every part of the session is tailored to you. You are always in control.
Somatic Coaching (Not Talk Therapy)
We also offer Somatic Coaching—a body-based approach to healing that bypasses the need for storytelling or analysis.
This isn’t talk therapy. We’re not here to relive your past. We’re here to help your body relearn safety, one breath at a time.
In these sessions, you’ll learn simple, powerful techniques to:
Regulate your nervous system
Build embodied resilience
Reclaim your ability to feel joy, presence, and peace
You don’t need to explain anything. Your body already knows what it needs—we just give it the space to listen.
A Gentle Call to Peace
If you or someone you love feels like life has been too loud, too much, or too fast for too long—know that there is a space here for you.
There is no pressure to talk. No need to explain. You get to arrive exactly as you are.
The point is simple: We meet you where you are. We help your system feel safe enough to rest. And in that rest, your healing begins.
This is the most natural way to address PTSD.
We invite you to experience a session tailored to your needs, your rhythm, and your nervous system. No pressure. Just a soft landing.
Because you deserve to feel safe. To be seen. And to return home to peace.
Reach out when you're ready. We’re here.
Book Your Session
Are you ready to release what no longer serves you—and rediscover the freedom within your own body?
Book Your Relaxing Soul Journey Experience Now.
Let’s unwind together—with warmth, presence, and grace.
We are located at:
1600 Sarno Rd Suite 217
Melbourne, FL 32935-4938
MM45205
(321) 430-0911
