Why do some of us feel like we’re always on alert — even in moments of calm? In this episode of Numbness Paralysis, we explore hypervigilance: the exhausting state of constant scanning for danger, even in safe environments.

Through listener voices, trauma-informed science, and compassionate reflection, we unpack how hypervigilance forms, how it impacts our daily lives and relationships, and how the nervous system can slowly, gently, learn to stand down.

We also offer practical tools to support regulation — from orienting exercises to relational anchors — and close with a reminder: Your vigilance was earned. But your rest is deserved.

🎧 If you’ve ever felt like your guard never comes down, this episode is for you.

Topics Covered:

• What hypervigilance feels like
• Trauma biology and the brain
• Somatic regulation tools
• A gentle SWOT reflection on survival patterns
• How to offer safety to your nervous system

🔔 Subscribe and follow for weekly episodes on PTSD, emotional numbing, complex trauma, and healing through gentleness.

Have you ever felt emotionally numb, mentally foggy, or like you’re watching life happen from the outside?

That’s not you being distracted — it’s dissociation. A powerful, subconscious trauma response that helps the brain and body survive emotional overwhelm.

In this gentle yet illuminating episode, trauma educator and host Olga Costa explains how dissociation works, why it develops, and how to begin gently reconnecting with yourself through body-based tools and trauma-informed compassion.

💡 You’ll learn:

• What dissociation feels like (and how it differs from distraction)
• How the freeze response protects you
• The neuroscience behind emotional numbness
• Grounding tools to return to the present moment
• A soft SWOT reflection to explore your own patterns

If you’ve ever Googled "Why do I feel so disconnected?" or "How do I stop emotionally shutting down?" — this episode is for you.

Stay safe, stay soft… and stay curious.

🎧 Episode 5 — Shame as a Cracked Armor | Host: Olga Costa

Shame doesn’t scream. It whispers: “You’re too much.” “You’re not enough.” “If they knew the real you, they’d leave.”

In this powerful episode, Olga Costa explores shame not as a feeling — but as a survival strategy. We dive into how shame becomes emotional armor, why we wear it, and what happens when it starts to crack. Through stories, symbolism, and science, we’ll uncover how to soften shame’s grip and meet it with compassion instead of judgment.

🔎 In this episode:

• The difference between guilt and shame
• How trauma wires us to hide
• The “social survival” brain and why shame feels so dangerous
• The kintsugi metaphor: cracks that heal with gold
• A reflective SWOT to reclaim your voice
• Tools to speak back to shame gently, not forcefully

If you've ever felt like you're too broken to be seen, this episode is for you.

🕊️ You are not the armor. You are the softness underneath.

🚨 Have you ever overreacted to something minor — and deep down, you knew it wasn’t about that moment?

🎧 Episode 4 of Numbness Paralysis – The PTSD Podcast is here: “Emotional Flashbacks – When the Past Hijacks the Present”

We’re unpacking the silent storms that hijack your present emotions — even when you can’t recall a single memory. These flashbacks don’t show you images... they make you feel like it’s all happening again.

💡 Learn how trauma lives in the body, how to recognize flashback triggers, and how to reclaim safety when it feels far away.

🛠️ Grounding tools, soft reflection, and one deeply personal story included.

👉 Listen now, and remember: You’re not overreacting. You’re remembering.

#EmotionalFlashbacks #PTSDAwareness #TraumaHealing #CPTSD #GroundingTools #NumbnessParalysis #ThePTSDPodcast #HealingJourney #InnerChildHealing #EmotionalResilience

Why does love feel distant, even when we want it close? In this tender episode, we explore how PTSD can quietly reshape our relationships — creating invisible walls, emotional misfires, and deep misunderstandings. Through stories, reflective prompts, and a compassionate SWOT lens, we gently unpack how trauma impacts attachment, communication, and connection.

You’ll hear about: 💔 The emotional distance PTSD creates 🧠 How trauma rewires our sense of safety in relationships 💬 Gentle language to bridge the gap 🤝 Small rituals that build trust 🌿 Hopeful paths toward co-regulation and healing together

Whether you’re healing from trauma or loving someone who is, this episode offers a soft space to reflect, understand, and begin again.

You are not too much. You are not too broken. You are worthy of love that understands your nervous system.

✨ Stay safe, stay soft… and stay curious. #PTSDandRelationships #SafeToConnect #TraumaInformedLove

What if the silence inside you isn’t emptiness… but protection?

In this deeply personal episode of Numbness Paralysis, host Olga Costa explores the quiet, often misunderstood world of emotional numbness — a common but rarely talked about part of PTSD.

🎧 You'll learn:

• What emotional numbness feels like in everyday life
• The science behind the “freeze” survival response
• A human-centered SWOT reflection on numbness
• Small, body-based steps to begin reconnecting
• How to thaw gently — without overwhelming yourself

🌱 This episode is a safe space for anyone who’s ever wondered why they feel “blank” — and whether there’s hope on the other side. (There is.)

Next episode: PTSD and relationships — how trauma affects the way we connect.

— 🔚 Stay safe, stay soft… and stay curious. #NumbnessParalysis #PTSDHealing

Ever felt like you're stuck in a loop you didn’t choose? In this first episode of Numbness Paralysis, I open up about what PTSD actually feels like — not just what people say it is, but how it lands in your body, your heart, your life.

We’ll talk about real symptoms, misunderstood silence, and how a simple exercise — a personal SWOT analysis — might help you make sense of what you're carrying. This isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about seeing yourself more clearly and gently.

👉 Take a quiet moment. Tune in. You’re not alone. #PTSDRecovery #MentalHealthPodcast #TraumaHealing #EmotionalNumbness #SelfAwareness

Have you ever shut down during a conversation — not because of what was said, but because of what it reminded you of? In this tender episode of Numbness Paralysis – The PTSD Podcast, host Olga Costa gently explores emotional flashbacks in relationships. These hidden trauma responses don’t come with memories — they come with feelings that flood our bodies, hijacking the present with echoes of the past.

With real-life vignettes, accessible neuroscience, and trauma-informed compassion, Olga helps listeners understand why they sometimes panic in love, withdraw from praise, or misread safety as danger. A reflective SWOT moment invites gentle self-awareness, and practical tools offer grounding and co-regulation.

This episode is for anyone navigating love while living with Complex PTSD, emotional numbness, or dissociation — and anyone trying to build bridges between their past and their present.

🌿 “You are not too much. You are someone who has lived through too much — and who is still worthy of safe love.”