The Internal Drumbeat: When Stress Isn’t External

The Internal Drumbeat: When Stress Isn’t External

by Annette Luurtsema

We trauma survivors are constantly trying to lower stress. But even when we don’t appear stressed when there is no visible pressure or chaos, we still feel it magnanimously.

Because the stress we carry isn’t surface-level or circumstantial. It’s the constant drum beating inside us.

The Core Truth of Living with Unhealed Trauma:

The stress isn’t always caused by external pressures. Even when we are alone, far from disrupters and environmental noise, it remains: A persistent, internal experience.

That “constant drumbeat inside” is a dysregulated nervous system at work. It is the leftover wiring of past threat, still active even in present safety.

Here is why that happens and how it manifests:

1. A Brain Wired for Survival

Your brain especially the amygdala, your threat detector, became hyper-vigilant during trauma. It formed deep neural pathways to keep you safe. Even after the danger passes, your brain keeps scanning for it like a smoke alarm that goes off at the smell of toast because it once had to detect real fire.

This constant scanning creates a feeling of unease, even in calm surroundings.

2. A Sympathetic System Stuck ‘On’

Your sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, or freeze mode) gets stuck in high gear after trauma. It doesn’t recognize when safety returns.

So even when things look peaceful:

• Your heart rate may be slightly elevated
• Muscles subtly tense
• Breathing shallow
• Digestion sluggish

You appear calm—but inside, your body is still bracing. This constant internal state drains your adrenal glands.

3. Suppressed Vagus Nerve Response

Your vagus nerve is meant to bring you back to peace—into rest, digestion, and restoration. But when trauma locks your system into “on” mode, it suppresses this calming function.

The result? You don't just “bounce back.” Even small stressors feel huge, because your calming system (parasympathetic nervous system) isn't fully functioning. This dampens your vagal tone, making it harder to return to a state of peace.

4. Trauma Stored in the Body

Trauma isn’t just a mental memory; it’s a somatic one. It lives in your body’s muscles, tissues, and cellular memory.

It often shows up as:

• Chronic pain
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Digestive upset (like IBS)
• Nervous system overload

The stress is real, even when nothing outside seems wrong.

5. Subconscious Scripts and Core Beliefs

Deep within, trauma embeds false subconscious scripts:

🧠 “I’m not safe.” 💔 “I’m unworthy.” 👤 “I’m all alone.”

These messages run beneath your awareness, subtly dictating your emotions, behaviors, and stress responses regardless of what is happening externally. They create a foundational layer of internal stress that contributes to that constant drumbeat.

Why Healing Must Be Holistic

This is why true trauma healing can’t be just “mental” or "spiritual" in isolation. It must be a holistic journey that addresses every layer of your being. It needs to be:

• Physical: Regulating the body and its physiological responses.
• Emotional: Honoring and processing stored grief and fear.
• Spiritual: Anchoring your identity and safety in God's truth.
• Subconscious: Actively replacing the old scripts with truth and compassion.

Your breath prayers, grounding practices, self-compassion, and truth-based affirmations are not just calming techniques. They are powerful nervous system interventions that help:

🕊️ Quiet the amygdala’s alarm 🕊️ Support the vagus nerve 🕊️ Soften the survival stress 🕊️ Rewrite the internal story through neuroplasticity.

Until that internal drumbeat begins to shift… From chaos to calm. From fear to peace. From bracing for harm to feeling safe—body and soul.

Finding Your Rhythm of Peace

This journey of healing is not about instant perfection, but about consistent, gentle steps. It's about recognizing that you don't have to carry the weight of this internal drumbeat alone. God sees you, He knows your struggle, and He longs to transform that ceaseless rhythm of unease into a symphony of peace.

By embracing these holistic practices, rooted in both faith and the science of your remarkable design, you actively partner with Him. You are not just surviving anymore; you are gently, bravely, and powerfully rewiring your way back to wholeness. You are learning to trust the rhythm of His grace, moving toward a life restored, where your body and soul can finally feel safe at last.

This is where true freedom begins.