🧠 What happens to the brain and body — and how to heal after being strangled
Strangulation is not just an act of physical violence — it’s one of the most psychologically devastating and neurologically disruptive forms of abuse.
It is one of the clearest predictors of future lethal violence in relationships. And yet, so many survivors are told to “let it go,” to “move on,” or — worse — their experiences are minimized or denied.
But here’s the truth:
👉 If you’ve been strangled, you have endured a level of terror and trauma that rewires the nervous system.
👉 Your body remembers.
👉 Your brain remembers — even if you don’t want it to.
👉 Recovery is not linear, but it is possible.
⚠️ What Strangulation Does to the Brain
When someone puts their hands around your throat — even for seconds — several systems in your body go into full-blown survival panic:
- Oxygen is restricted
Within 10 seconds of pressure, the brain begins to suffer from oxygen deprivation (cerebral hypoxia). You may black out, lose memory, or experience a slowed heart rate. It is terrifying — and your brain encodes it as a threat to your life. - Your amygdala activates
This ancient part of your brain screams “You are dying!” It floods your body with adrenaline and cortisol, creating powerful fear-based memory imprints. - The hippocampus is affected
This is the memory center of the brain. Traumatic events like strangulation often cause fragmented or nonlinear recall. You may remember certain details vividly (eyes, sounds, smells), but forget others. This is normal in trauma. - Your vagus nerve is overwhelmed
This nerve runs from your brain to your heart, lungs, and gut. Strangulation can disrupt it, leading to symptoms like fainting, dizziness, nausea, and emotional dissociation.
🧠 Why You Still Have Flashbacks
Flashbacks are not weakness or drama — they are your brain’s way of trying to process an experience it could not integrate at the time.
- You might see their face again.
- Hear their breath.
- Feel the pressure on your throat.
- Smell something that takes you back there.
This is your nervous system trying to complete the stress response that was interrupted by trauma.
You’re not crazy. You’re not broken. You’re recovering.
🧘♀️ Recovery: Calming the Nervous System After Strangulation
Healing after strangulation isn’t just emotional — it’s neurological. The body and brain need repeated signals that you are now safe.
Here are trauma-informed, neuroscience-backed ways to begin healing:
1. Create Predictable Safety
- Stay near people who feel grounding and gentle.
- Avoid confrontational environments or unpredictable individuals.
- Use weighted blankets, dim lights, calming sounds.
2. Regulate Through the Body
- Vagus nerve exercises like humming, gargling, or deep belly breathing help tone the parasympathetic system.
- Somatic therapies (like TRE, EMDR, or somatic experiencing) release trauma from the body.
- Gentle movement: Yoga, tai chi, walking barefoot on the earth.
3. Process at Your Pace
- Trauma stories don’t need to be retold over and over to heal.
- What matters is that your body feels listened to, your brain feels safe, and your heart feels held.
- Work with trauma-informed professionals who understand strangulation trauma.
4. Avoid Triggers When Possible
- Loud voices, sudden touches, or anything near your neck may feel overwhelming. Let your support system know.
- It’s okay to say, “Please don’t touch my neck.”
“Please don’t stand behind me.”
“Please speak gently.”
This is boundary-setting — not avoidance.
5. Affirm the Truth
- You didn’t overreact.
- You didn’t imagine it.
- It’s been recorded. It’s real.
And no amount of denial can erase your lived experience.
Your body survived something brutal.
Your spirit is still healing.
But you are here. And that means everything.
🌱 You Deserve a Life Without Terror
To laugh without flinching.
To love without fear.
To sleep without being pulled back into that moment.
It will take time.
But your nervous system can rewire.
Your body can feel peace again.
And your story — your full, powerful, unerasable truth — will light the way for others who are still trying to escape the shadows.
You didn’t die that day.
But a part of you was forever changed.
Now, you are reclaiming your life — one breath, one boundary, one brave moment at a time.
#StrangulationSurvivor #TraumaHealing #NeuroscienceExplains #CPTSDRecovery #EmotionalSafety #NervousSystemHealing #YouAreSafeNow #TraumaInformedCare #SurvivorStrength
