Bonita Ackerman du Preez
Bonita Ackerman du Preez
#107 Why You React So Strongly | Trauma & Survival Mode
#107 Why You React So Strongly | Trauma & Survival Mode
#107 Why You React So Strongly | Trauma & Survival Mode
Monday 23rd February 2026
Explore how trauma shapes our stress responses and learn how to retrain your nervous system for emotional freedom with Bonita Ackerman du Preez.
4 minutes
Informative
Inspiring
Hopeful
Healing
Engaging
About this podcast
Author:
Bonita Ackerman du Preez
Overview:
Categories:
Recovery from Trauma
Healing from Sexual Trauma
Mindful Recovery
Healing Relationships
Entrepreneurship for Personal Growth
Links:
Visit site
Episodes:
107 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Why We React: Unpacking Trauma and Survival Mode
Episode Overview
- Survival responses like fight, flight, freeze, and fawn are learned adaptations.
- The amygdala triggers reactions before logical thinking can occur.
- Repeated stress can hardwire survival pathways in the brain.
- Awareness and safe experiences can retrain the nervous system.
- Understanding trauma's impact helps stop damaging reactions.
"Your nervous system isn't broken; it's conditioned."
What makes us react so strongly in certain situations? Episode #107 of The Trauma Recovery School podcast tackles this question head-on, offering listeners a deeper understanding of the brain's response to trauma and survival mode. Bonita Ackerman du Preez, the brilliant mind behind The Trauma Recovery School, unpacks how early life unpredictability can condition our stress responses, leading to automatic survival pathways like fight, flight, freeze, and fawn.
Ever wondered why you might snap at loved ones or feel paralysed by procrastination? It's not just a quirk of personality—it's biology. In this enlightening episode, Bonita explains how the amygdala, the brain's alarm system, activates before logical thinking can kick in. This means that our reactions often bypass rational thought, leading to patterns that can harm relationships and self-esteem.
She dives into the neuroscience behind these reactions, explaining how repeated exposure to stress can hardwire these responses into our nervous systems. But here's the kicker: these survival adaptations are learned, which means they can be reshaped. Bonita offers hope by suggesting that with awareness and repeated safe experiences, we can retrain our nervous systems to recognise that the present is not the past.
By working with our nervous systems rather than against them, we can start to heal and regain emotional freedom. If you've ever felt stuck in a cycle of anxiety or anger, this episode provides valuable insights into breaking free. Bonita's compassionate approach reminds us that our nervous systems aren't broken—they're just conditioned. Ready to understand your brain better and stop those damaging reactions? Tune in for a journey towards healing and self-discovery.