Reading the Signs

3:02

Companion Slides

Hypervigilance, withdrawal, aggression, people-pleasing — trauma responses you'll recognize.

Key Concepts

  • Hypervigilance: scanning for danger, startling easily
  • Withdrawal: emotional shutdown, isolation as self-protection
  • Aggression: fight response — defensive, not predatory
  • People-pleasing: fawn response — safety through compliance
  • Substance use: self-medication of an overwhelmed nervous system

Part of

Module 2: How Trauma Shows Up

Recognizing trauma responses in behavior, across ages, in the body, and through a trauma-informed lens.