Trauma Recovery & Nervous System Regulation Infographic

Flow: Trauma → Healing Steps → Nervous System Regulation

1️⃣ Trauma (Impact Stage)

Amygdala: Hypervigilant, overreactive
Hippocampus: Confuses past and present
mPFC: Underactive, hard to integrate emotions & make decisions
Autonomic Nervous System: Fight/flight/freeze dominant
Body Cues: Tension, shallow breathing, anxiety, confusion
Visual: 🔴 Alarm icons with red highlights

2️⃣ Healing Steps (Action Stage)

Step	Action	Brain/Body Effect	Visual Cue
Step 1: Establish Safety 🔒	Safe environment, non-toxic spaces	Amygdala calms, body tension decreases	Green shield icon
Step 2: Trauma-Informed Support 🤝	Psychologist, counseling	mPFC & hippocampus strengthen	Blue hands icon
Step 3: Ground in Body 🌿	Breathwork, yoga, somatic exercises	Vagus activation, parasympathetic tone	Leaf & heart icon
Step 4: Rebuild Self-Trust 💪	Honor boundaries, value-based decisions	mPFC strengthens, confidence grows	Muscle icon
Step 5: Observe Patterns 👀	Track repeated behaviors, trust actions	Hippocampus differentiates real vs past	Eye icon
Step 6: Informed Decisions 🧭	Pause, check body signals, align with values	Clear, calm, empowered choices	Compass icon
Step 7: Reflect & Integrate 📝	Journaling, mindfulness	Neuroplasticity reinforces safe patterns	Notebook icon

Visual Flow: Arrows connecting steps in sequence with color gradient from red → yellow → green, showing transition from trauma to healing to empowerment.

3️⃣ Nervous System Regulation Outcome

Amygdala: Alert but proportional
Hippocampus: Accurate contextual memory
mPFC: Integrates emotion and values
Vagus/Parasympathetic System: Calm, steady, grounded
Body Cues: Relaxed muscles, steady breathing, confident posture
Visual: 🟢 Safe icons, green highlights

4️⃣ Daily Reference Symbols

🔴 Alarm → Threat or trauma cue
🟡 Evaluate → Pause, observe, assess
🟢 Safe → Values-aligned, calm, empowered

Tip: Keep this infographic visible on your phone, printed workspace, or journal for quick, daily nervous system and decision-making guidance.

💡 Key Takeaway:
This visual roadmap shows how trauma rewires the brain, the step-by-step healing actions, and the nervous system regulation outcomes—giving you a daily, glanceable guide to reclaim self-trust, clarity, and empowerment.

Go back