Trauma Reminders Through Our Senses

I don’t know who needs to hear this but…

When we experience a traumatic or very stressful event, our brain makes an imprint of what we are perceiving through our senses. 

In other words, when we experience a traumatic or very stressful event, our brains take note of what we are:

• Seeing

• Hearing

• Feeling/Touching

• Smelling

• Tasting

For example:

• The smell of witch hazel still nauseates me. It reminds me of my first postpartum - which was almost SIX years ago - because it was such a traumatic time.

• The month of May in Seattle, which is when my postpartum OCD began, including: 

• the smell of the air

• the temperature outside

• and the height of the sun in the sky (or at least when the sun starts to reappear after a long, rainy Seattle winter)

• The sound of beeping machines, like the ones you hear in the hospital

• Getting my blood pressure taken

If you resonate with any of this, I hope you know you…

You are not alone. You are not to blame. With help, you will be well.

Call or text Postpartum Support International HelpLine at 800-944-4773. You never need a diagnosis to ask for help.

Download the Connect by PSI App.

Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262.

In a crisis situation, call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.