Why Didn't I Fight Back?" Reframing the Shutdown Response

For people who've experienced trauma, going into a shutdown state can carry deep shame — the nagging "why didn't I run, why didn't I fight back?" This clip offers a reframe: your nervous system made that choice for you because, in the moment, it read as the best way to survive. Understanding it that way opens a window into compassion and even gratitude for a response that so often feels like failure.

Part of Roots of Care, a series on whole-person, trauma-informed primary care. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVtaeaNoZCQ4