Why Trauma is Your Biology Not Your Psychology with Dr. Aimie ApigianWhy Trauma is Your Biology Not Your Psychology with Dr. Aimie Apigian
I Love Being Sober
Dr Aimie Apigian and Tim Westbrook talk about trauma as a biological process that shapes the nervous system and fuels addiction. They share how somatic work and nervous system support can complement traditional recovery and help shift long‑standing patterns of dysregulation.
52:44•8 Aug 2023
Why Trauma Lives in Your Body: Dr Aimie Apigian on Biology and Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Trauma shows up in the body through the autonomic nervous system and can drive chronic conditions like fatigue, autoimmunity and IBS.
- Addictions are described as attempts to soothe dysregulation and inner overwhelm rather than standalone problems.
- The trauma response is compared to an emergency brake that overrides stress and mindset, making willpower alone insufficient.
- People can begin healing with simple somatic practices and nervous system work without first recalling or analysing all past traumas.
- Long‑term recovery is linked to addressing mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health, rather than focusing only on stopping substances.
“The alcohol is not the problem. The alcohol is the solution.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This episode zooms in on a surprising answer: trauma living in the body rather than just in the mind. Dr Aimie Apigian joins host Tim Westbrook to share how "trauma is so much more biology than just our psychology" and why that matters hugely for addiction recovery.
With dual board certifications in Preventive and Addiction Medicine, plus training in functional medicine and multiple trauma therapies, she brings a very science‑heavy lens, but keeps things practical and relatable. You’ll hear Dr Aimie describe the "biology of trauma" as an unconscious operating system in the nervous system, driven largely by the vagus nerve.
She breaks it down with simple car analogies: stress is the foot on the accelerator, while trauma is the emergency brake that quietly shuts the whole system down. That shutdown can show up as fatigue, autoimmunity, IBS, chronic pain, and of course, addiction. Tim adds his own experience from long‑term recovery, pointing out that "recovery is not just stopping drinking and stopping drugs" and that without deeper work, addictions simply shift to food, sex, gambling, and other compulsive behaviours.
Together they highlight how dysregulation in the nervous system pushes people towards substances and behaviours that temporarily soothe an inner sense of overwhelm. A big relief in their conversation is the idea that you don’t need to remember or name all your traumas before starting to heal. Dr Aimie explains how basic somatic exercises and her 21‑day nervous system journey can begin changing biology and easing emotional eating, anxiety and burnout, even without digging into every past event.
This one is ideal if you’re sober or getting sober and wondering why you still feel restless, exhausted or stuck, despite "doing the work". It might leave you asking: what is your body trying to tell you, and are you ready to listen?
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