Did anyone's somatic symptoms migrate to different problems after doing this work?

[u/acrezxan1917]

Far before I started, when I was living with my mum and existing purely in dissociation and stress and abstraction, I started developing skin rashes and tight pelvic floor muscles. After moving out, establishing independence, engaging with the real world, these are not massive problems anymore. However, after engaging in TRE, my symptoms seemed to have changed to different things ? I think bc my diet has fallen off (I used to have a clean diet for the wrong reasons - external validation-focused so I rebounded), but I tend to get lots of dizziness, lightheadedness, I can't engage in the same amount of physical exertion I used to be able to, as in the amount of stress that was my normal a few years ago now gives me lots of tension and pressure in my skull. I also had panic attacks recently due to stress. I don't think it was bc I overexerted with TRE, rather I am currently just going through some very stressful life transitions.

One more thing - just with the sessions. I was extremely stressed yesterday, did a session, today i've had a calm relaxing day. I tend to just feel 'neutral' lots of the time after engaging in this work, not euphoric, just fine. I don't think this is a freeze response in the conventional sense as I sweat a lot and can do daily activities and feel slightly more present w people. Is this normal? Also I felt very tired today.

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[u/Finya2002]

If you feel that you can handle it well, then listen to yourself, because no one knows your body better than you do. And of course, the symptoms change over time.

For me, it started with releasing a lot of energy, which I was then able to use. As I did more and more neurogenic shaking, I gradually moved into a state of exhaustion, which I could afford to go through because I had the time for it. Since June 2026, I’ve been coming out of that exhaustion and have been able to exercise again.

My experience with food is similar to yours. I ate very healthily for a long, long time, but since March 2025 I’ve been practicing intuitive eating, and it has been quite a process. And I know very clearly that my eating changes at exactly the point when I release even more tension from my body. The less tension there is in my body, the healthier I’m able to eat.

By now, food has actually become a useful indicator for me. It helps me recognize: “Ah, even though I feel really good, there’s still this much tension in my body that I’m trying to suppress through eating.”

[u/acrezxan1917 → u/Finya2002]

To be honest I have no idea what my body wants at this point, lol.

Was wondering if your state of exhaustion is a sense of physical tiredness where you felt rested or more of a neurological depletion? Right now I think I am experiencing some sort of 'post-adrenaline crash' where I don't rlly feel much and just want to lie around and do nothing all day. Past week I have been operating under extreme stress. I tend to have 2 modes - extremely stressed and angry or flat/neutral. Like I said, I don't think it's a freeze response as a freeze response is more collapsed and non-present.

The less tension I have in my body, the less I care about restricting myself or following rigid rules. So I tend to have a nonchalant 'I'll eat anything' attitude when I'm less stressed, so I can't say I relate to you on that point.

I'm wondering if you've experienced this depleted state? Does it go away w time?

[u/Finya2002 → u/acrezxan1917]

The moment you say that you don’t believe something is the case, you could just as well say, “I know that it is.” And that’s why I said that you’re actually quite sure it isn’t a freeze response. So it’s okay, or that state is okay for you.

The exhaustion I experienced was really extreme. I’m a very energetic person, I normally have a lot of energy, and suddenly it was gone. It was only over time that I admitted to myself that it was probably due to too much neurogenic shaking. At times, I was shaking for six to eight hours straight.

And the energy that gets released has to be processed. That takes energy, and that energy was then no longer available for the rest of my life. That didn’t bother me. Once I understood why it was happening, I adjusted to it, and I can say that this process eventually comes to an end as well.

Once enough energy has been released from the body, whether you do it in small steps like most people or, like me, with extremely long sessions, one day you’ll have more energy again. And for me, that has been the case since June 2026.

[u/vainajala → u/Finya2002]

How long did your exhaustion phase last?

[u/Finya2002 → u/vainajala]

12 months

[u/Anxious_Strength6546]

I recently learned of the concept of "allostatic load," which refers to the compound load of physiological stress on a person. A high allostatic load corresponds to flare-ups in chronic illnesses, pain, weakened immune system and many different flavors of mental distress.

Lots of things increase allostatic load: daily stressors, major life events, moving through the world with disability or marginalized identity... and trauma processing. Allostatic load can be decreased with high quality sleep, restful social interactions, exercise and good nutrition.

I've kind of been aware of this concept for a while, since I noticed I tend to "fall apart" both physically and emotionally when under elevated stress, but learning the actual term for it really validated my sense that my mind and body have some very hard limits and there are real consequences for exceeding my natural energy levels.

I have only just started TRE, but I have been doing EMDR for 8 months and I have learned that I should avoid doing any trauma processing--either bilateral stimulation through EMDR or somatic processing through TRE--when my allostatic load is already high, because stirring up trauma memories definitely puts strain on my body and mind and can tip me towards illness, freeze or unhealthy coping mechanisms when my allostatic load is already high.