Restoring the Body After Trauma and Stress
Have you ever felt stuck in survival mode—constantly stressed, exhausted, or carrying pain that no doctor can explain?
I’ve been there. And I know how discouraging it feels when you’ve prayed for healing, tried every supplement or therapy, and still feel like your body’s not responding. That’s why I was so moved by my recent conversation with Melissa Armstrong, a Trauma & Nervous System Coach whose story beautifully shows how God can restore what trauma tried to destroy.
How Trauma Hides in the Body
Melissa’s story starts with deep pain—growing up in an environment marked by addiction and abuse, surviving a school shooting at 15, and witnessing her brother’s tragic death at just 18 years old.
Those unhealed wounds didn’t just live in her memories—they showed up in her body. Chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, and symptoms doctors couldn’t explain became her “normal.”
What she didn’t realize then (and what so many of us don’t) is that trauma lives in the nervous system. It changes the way our body perceives safety. And until we address that root cause, we keep cycling through stress, exhaustion, and survival mode.
The Power of Somatic Healing
What changed everything for Melissa was discovering somatic healing—the practice of helping the body release stored trauma through movement, breath, and nervous system regulation.
She learned that healing isn’t just a mindset; it’s a physiological process.
When we give our body signals of safety—through rest, breathwork, stillness, and connection—we allow God’s design to do what it was always meant to do: repair and restore.
I’ve seen this truth over and over in my work as a holistic health coach.
You can eat clean, take supplements, and exercise daily, but if your nervous system is stuck in “fight or flight,” your body won’t feel safe enough to heal.
That’s why I believe so strongly in approaching health the way God designed it—body, mind, and spirit in alignment.
Faith: The Missing Piece in Healing
Melissa and I both agree that true healing doesn’t happen apart from faith.
When we invite God into our pain, He doesn’t just help us manage it—He redeems it.
There’s something powerful about knowing that your body isn’t broken—it’s protecting you.
And when you begin to understand that truth through the lens of God’s love and design, the healing journey becomes less about striving and more about surrender.
You Don’t Have to Stay in Survival Mode
If you’ve been living in that constant cycle of stress, fatigue, or unexplained pain, I want you to know this: your body can heal.
You are not stuck.
You are not forgotten.
Healing takes time, intention, and often a willingness to look deeper than the surface symptoms. But as Melissa’s story shows, when you begin to regulate your nervous system, release stored trauma, and trust God’s process—you can move from survival to wholeness.
f this resonates with you, here are a few ways to connect:
- Join Our Faith Over Pharma Community: Find hope, healing and encouragement on Substack – where faith meets holistic wellness and women rediscover the way God designed their bodies to thrive.
- Tune Into the Faith Over Pharma Podcast: Listen to real stories and faith-filled conversations that challenge the mainstream narrative and empower you to heal naturally – body, mind, and spirit.
- Work With Me: Get personalized support to restore your hormones, balance your energy, and rebuild your health from the inside out – the way God intended.
