When Dread Meets Clarity: What Your Body Is Trying to Tell You After a Traumatic Incident

Something Feels Off

Something feels off. I keep sensing this inside me… and I can’t pinpoint what it is.

I thought maybe I figured it out when I realized my creative flow had become almost non-existent because I was so focused on hosting groups for Dec/Jan/Feb. Then I noticed that in hiring a new VA, I had started taking on her direction instead of following my own intuition. I shifted back into being more assertive.

But the feeling didn’t go away.

As I continued playing reflective detective, I got my period and thought, okay, this has to be it. It was a doozy, and last night I finally started to feel life return to me. I survived another month of PMDD… and yet the feeling still didn’t go away.

Waking Up in Mexico With the Same Feeling

Then this morning, in Mexico (one of my happy places), I woke up, made my coffee, and the thought “something’s off” was still running through my mind.

The feeling was right there.
And honestly? I felt like… WTF??

It felt like a fear or dread that something bad was going to happen — and I mean really bad. A death, a major accident, a natural disaster. Almost like a premonition.

The Moment It Clicked

Aaaaahhhhhhh… I think I figured it out.

As I typed the word “accident,” my brain reminded me:
Exactly one week ago, I had a car accident.

Everyone was safe. No one was hurt. Everything got taken care of. Rationally, it wasn’t serious.

But that night I remember feeling shaky and chain-smoking before bed. And I’m realizing now that the accident created this fear of the unknown — this sense that anything can happen at any moment, and it will be bad. Not “I didn’t get what I wanted” bad… but really bad.

What shocks me is that I’ve never struggled with these kinds of fears before. When people talk about fear of flying, fear of a crash, fear of disasters, I always have compassion, but I’ve never personally understood it. I could easily let it go by saying, “It’s out of my control.”

My anxiety has always been internal — conflict, needs, relationships, depression, fatigue, loneliness.

So now I'm sitting here thinking…
Is this what external anxiety feels like?

Let the Writing lead you

I’m writing this with tears because I’m realizing: this is it. My body and brain are still subconsciously recovering from the accident when I consciously thought I was ok.

This is why writing is so powerful — if you let the words lead you, instead of forcing an idea, you’ll discover something you didn’t know was inside of you. It brings clarity. It brings release. Because you’re not writing a grocery list… you’re writing the unseen parts of your soul that are asking for you attention. They’re asking because they have purpose. They’re probing you because they want to help you.

Writing gives space for the subconscious to become conscious. It takes the back seat driver into the front of the car and allows it to guide you wisely instead of just annoying you.

And honestly, I’m relieved. Naming it brings understanding. And understanding means I can take care of myself. I can receive support. I can acknowledge when it gets triggered.

I can also remind myself:
Nothing bad is going to happen. This is just my body reacting to what happened last week.

This is what interrupting transference looks like — not letting one incident bleed into everything else and trick your brain into believing the world is unsafe, when you are in fact safe.

Stranded in Portugal : Helpful Transference

Let me give a helpful example of transference — because transference isn’t a bad thing. It’s trying to help us.

As a very active traveller, I’ve been through countless airports. For years I cut it close because I hated waiting around.

Then one year, in Portugal, I arrived about two hours early… and the airport was total chaos. Post-COVID crowds. Disorganization everywhere. I couldn’t get my boarding pass in time, and I missed my flight home.

No refund.
No responsibility taken from the airline.
Just me, stranded, panicking, crying on FaceTime to my dad, frantically searching for flights. The cheapest one-way home? $1400.

I blamed myself. My ADHD. My time management. All of it.

Eventually I got home after having to stay two more days in Lisbon.

But I learned something:

Now I arrive three hours early.
Everything packed the night before.
Cushion time for any chaos.

That’s healthy transference: It helps me feel prepared, not panicked.

The unhealthy kind?
It makes you fearful, controlling, withdrawn, and convinced danger is everywhere.

Looking Back at My Week… Of Course I Felt Off

When I look back at last week, everything makes sense.

In just four days:

• I launched a new online group (my first ever!)

• I was in three countries

• I drove to NY state

• I flew to Mexico

• I had an intense therapy session

• I ended a short-term dating relationship I had feelings for

• I experienced a car accident

• …and I did all of this in my Luteal Phase with PMDD

No wonder my body felt overwhelmed.

A Small Sign on a Bench

After the accident, when I sat on a bench in shock, I saw a little keychain that had broken off its ring.

It said: “God is so good.”

I picked it up and felt so seen.
A small divine reminder placed exactly where I needed it.

I cried right there, outside of Subway.
And tucked it into my pocket.

Landing Back in Myself

Now that I’m in Mexico, I can finally sigh.
My shoulders have dropped.
My tongue is no longer glued to the roof of my mouth.

Taking the time to slow down and listen and write this has been a gift.

A Little Invitation

I hope you can take a moment for yourself, too, if your soul is whispering for your attention. It’s not always easy — but it really does change everything.

I believe in the power of journaling and supported reflection so much that I’m running The Brave Mastermind in February 2026 to support you in connecting to yourself, others, and me in a way that brings real clarity and real transformation. Imagine going from anxious to calm, from insecure to confident, to scared to empowered. These shifts are what make your life feel good and exciting to wake up to. If you want and are willing to commit to yourself to make these shifts, then The Brave Master Mind is the place you’ll find the support to do it. Saying yes today means you just took a massive brave step towards the life you dream of. So powerful.

Check it out, and book a free call if you know that intentional commitment creates a life you're excited to wake up to.

I can’t wait to hear from you,
Katie