You’ve been through a medical procedure—planned or unexpected. It’s over. You’re home. And yet, something still doesn’t feel resolved. Maybe it’s been weeks, months, or even years, and a part of you still feels upset, unsettled, or even disturbed by how you were treated or what happened.
Your logical mind says, “It’s done, just move on.”
But your body hasn’t.
This is a common experience with medical trauma—a kind of trauma that often goes unrecognized because the focus of someone’s experience is placed solely on the medical intervention and whether or not it was successful. But unresolved survival responses can stay lodged in the nervous system, creating persistent discomfort, anxiety, or disconnection.
What Does Medical Trauma Look Like?
Medical trauma doesn’t always stem from dramatic events. It can arise from subtle or seemingly “routine” experiences, such as:
Being dismissed or ignored by providers
Experiencing rudeness or coldness from staff
Not being believed about pain or symptoms
Waking suddenly from anesthesia without support
Hearing disturbing conversations while sedated
Feeling unsafe, unseen, or out of control
Lingering pain or sensitivity around a scar
Physical tension, anxiety, or tears that arise when recalling the event
When the body isn’t given space to process these experiences, the survival energy can remain stuck—leading to physical symptoms, emotional distress, or a sense that something “isn’t right.”
How to Support Yourself during a medical intervention
There are two important phases where support can make a real difference: before and after a procedure.
1. Preparation Before a Procedure
From a Somatic Experiencing® perspective, preparation helps regulate the nervous system in advance—reducing overwhelm and building a sense of agency.
Here is a short list of steps I recommend to begin with:
Understand the procedure—only as much as feels supportive
Meet your provider as a whole, not just as a patient or “procedure”
Know what to expect before, during, and after
Express your concerns or ask questions ahead of time
Line up post-op support (meals, childcare, rides, etc.)
Learn how to recognize natural trauma releases as it moves through your body (shaking, crying, trembling are normal and healthy releases)
When the nervous system knows it’s safe, it can downshift from survival mode and allow for deeper healing.
2. Build in Grounding During the Procedure
Even small moments of presence and grounding during medical events can dramatically reduce trauma response. You can:
Let your care team know ahead of time that you'd like space for calming techniques
Use grounding tools like:
Deep, intentional breaths
A meaningful photo
A soft object or blanket
Calming music through headphones (if permitted)
These tools help signal safety to the nervous system, which can reduce overwhelm and help keep you anchored.
Aftercare: Somatic Healing for Medical Trauma
If trauma has already occurred, Somatic Experiencing® offers a powerful path forward. Instead of reliving the event through story or analysis, SE gently guides you to revisit the edges of the experience in a resourced, gentle, safe way. To learn more about how Somatic Experiencing® can help, click here.
This process, called titration, allows the body to slowly release survival energy that was never completed. Over time, your body and brain can update the story: “It’s over. I’m safe now.”
Healing Is Possible
Whether you’re preparing for a future procedure or carrying an unresolved experience from the past, there is a way through. With somatic tools and intentional support, you can move from holding trauma in your body to restoring a sense of calm, safety, and wholeness.