Coming Out of Functional Freeze: Why Do I Feel Worse?Coming Out of Functional Freeze: Why Do I Feel Worse?
The Biology of Trauma™ With Dr. Aimie
Anxiety, anger and restless nights after years of feeling nothing can feel like going backwards. Dr. Aimie explains why it is often the freeze starting to move.
26:59•10 Nov 2026
Coming Out of Functional Freeze When Feeling Worse Means You’re Healing
Episode Overview
- Feeling more anxious, angry or restless after years of numbness can be a sign that a chronic functional freeze is starting to move, not that things are getting worse.
- Short moments of safety create space for buried emotions to rise, and learning to "ride the wave" helps those emotions complete instead of triggering overwhelm.
- Practising the belief "I can do uncomfortable" and gently pacing big feelings can shift long-standing patterns of shutting down in the face of distress.
- Physical responses like trembling, shaking and spontaneous deep breaths can be the body discharging stored activation and should be allowed rather than blocked.
- Addressing the biology of trauma through sleep, rhythms, energy support, magnesium and balanced protein and fat intake helps calm the feedback loop that keeps the system stuck.
“Have the hope that when you experience increased activation, you are on your way back home to yourself. You're not doing anything wrong.”
How do people cope with the unsettling transition from feeling numb to suddenly feeling everything? This episode of The Biology of Trauma™ With Dr. Aimie speaks directly to that confusing stage, especially for those stuck in a long-term functional freeze. Dr. Aimie explains that anxiety, anger and sleepless nights appearing after years of emotional flatness can look like a setback, but often signal that the freeze response is finally starting to shift.
She likens the original freeze to "paralysed with panic" – the gas pedal of anxiety and the emergency brake of paralysis pressed at the same time. When safety is gently introduced, it's like releasing that brake and seeing all the buried activation that was hiding underneath. You’ll hear about "waves" of emotion that surface as the body tries to finish trauma responses that were halted years ago. Rather than chasing or forcing those waves, Dr.
Aimie suggests learning skills to "ride the wave" so emotions can move through to completion. She notes that many people have lived so disconnected from their bodies that even small waves feel unmanageable, leaving them stuck in their heads, analysing instead of feeling. There’s a strong focus on building confidence with discomfort. A key line captures it: "I can do uncomfortable.
I am becoming the kind of person who no longer does overwhelm or unmanageable." She encourages gently pacing big feelings, pushing them back with a "not right now" when necessary, as a meaningful shift away from automatic overwhelm. Dr. Aimie also highlights the biological side of trauma: inflammation, hormones, sleep, blood sugar and nutrition all play a role in keeping the body trapped in a trauma loop.
Simple steps like improving sleep rhythms, adding magnesium and adjusting protein and fat intake are suggested as starting points. If you’ve ever thought, "I feel worse, so I must be going backwards," this conversation may help you see those intense emotions as signs that your nervous system is finally trying to lead you home. Could feeling more be the beginning of feeling safer?
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