Sometimes people really don’t get it.
They think healing means talking, processing, being strong, moving on.
But there are days when your entire nervous system just says:
“I can’t. Not today.”
And the only thing that makes sense is crawling into bed, turning on the electric blanket, and curling up with your dog — the one creature who gives you pure, uncomplicated comfort.
Why your brain needs this
From a neuroscience perspective, this isn’t avoidance.
It’s nervous system regulation.
When you’ve been through something overwhelming — trauma, betrayal, conflict, emotional overload — your nervous system can become stuck in “survival mode.”
Your brain’s alarm system (the amygdala) fires like you’re still in danger, even when you’re safe.
Warmth + safety + a loving animal =
Immediate downshift from fight-or-flight into calm.
Warmth activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
Your dog’s presence releases oxytocin — the bonding hormone that reduces anxiety.
Curling up in a safe, private space lowers cortisol and helps your brain exit “threat mode.”
Psychology calls this a self-soothing strategy.
Your body calls it thank God.
Why some people don’t understand
People who haven’t lived through emotional shock or sustained stress often underestimate how physical trauma is.
They think it’s “all in your head.”
It isn’t.
Your brain and body literally need a break to reset chemical systems that have gone haywire:
- Overloaded stress hormones
- Exhausted emotional circuits
- Hypervigilance
- Cognitive fatigue
You’re not being dramatic.
You’re being human.
Your dog understands more than most people
Animals don’t talk — but they regulate you.
They co-regulate your heartbeat.
They sense distress.
They respond with presence, not analysis.
Sometimes your dog is the only one who knows that silence, warmth, and closeness are what your nervous system needs—not advice, not pressure, not judgement.
There is nothing wrong with needing to “crawl away” for a moment
It doesn’t mean you’re weak.
It doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It means your brain is trying to recover.
Healing is not linear.
Sometimes it is soft, quiet, and wrapped in a blanket.
Sometimes it is just you, your dog, and a moment of peace after too much pain.
And honestly?
That’s an intelligent, biologically sound way to survive what happened to you.
