Understanding What Happens in Your Body

After experiences of sexual harassment or abuse, your nervous system may stay on high alert. This is not weakness — it is your body trying to protect you. You might notice: your heart racing, feeling disconnected from your surroundings, or a sense of numbness. These responses are part of what professionals call the fight-flight-freeze response. Your amygdala — the brain's alarm system — detected threat and is still signaling danger, even though the threatening event has passed. Understanding this is the first step toward reclaiming your sense of safety.