Why Am I So Sensitive Lately? When “Being Too Emotional” Is Actually a Trauma Response
Emotional Sensitivity: A Nervous System Overload, Not a Personality Flaw
Many people notice a shift in themselves long before they understand why. They may find themselves crying during a commercial, feeling overwhelmed by small frustrations, or reacting strongly in conflicts that previously felt manageable. These changes often lead to self-blame. People start to label themselves as “dramatic,” “too emotional,” or “overreactive.” However, emotional sensitivity rarely reflects a personal weakness. More often, it is the nervous system signaling that it has reached its capacity.
Trauma is not limited to catastrophic events. It can also emerge from experiences that were confusing, invalidating, lonely, rushed, or simply “too much” for the emotional system at the time. Even when the mind forgets or minimizes these events, the body remembers them. Emotional sensitivity is a physiological response—not a moral one.
How Trauma Shows Up Even When You Don’t Recognize It
People often assume trauma must take the form of violence, loss, or extreme danger. As a result, they ignore or minimize their own histories. A person may believe they “weren’t traumatized,” yet their nervous system tells a different story. Events such as medical procedures, emotionally unpredictable parents, messy breakups, toxic workplaces, chronic stress, or ongoing pressure can leave emotional imprints that are quieter, but equally powerful.
When difficult emotional experiences accumulate, the nervous system becomes hyper-reactive. A minor disagreement can feel like a threat. A request from a partner can feel like pressure. A normal workday can feel insurmountable. None of this means you’re fragile. It means your system is tired.
The Everyday Signs of Trauma-Induced Emotional Reactivity
Emotional sensitivity shows up in many subtle ways. A person might find themselves tearing up more often, snapping at loved ones, or feeling unable to tolerate conflict. They may feel easily embarrassed, intensely self-critical, or unusually vulnerable. Some people notice they have difficulty receiving feedback. Others feel constantly overstimulated.
These emotional shifts aren’t signs of irrationality. They are signs that the emotional system needs relief and repair. The body’s responses become amplified when past experiences remain unresolved.
Why Talking About Your Feelings Doesn’t Always Help
Talk therapy can be grounding, but understanding something logically doesn’t automatically change how it feels in the body. Many people describe this disconnect: “I know I’m safe, but my body still reacts.” That’s because trauma is stored in sensory and emotional memory networks, not only in linguistic memory. You can talk about an experience for years without changing the emotional charge attached to it.
How ART Helps Regulate Emotional Sensitivity
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) works by engaging the brain’s natural ability to update emotional memories. Through bilateral eye movements, ART helps the brain process the sensory components of distress that talking alone cannot reach. Clients do not need to revisit every painful detail; the technique works internally and non-verbally.
Many clients report that after ART they feel calmer, steadier, and more emotionally grounded. They describe being able to tolerate stress better, respond to conflict without shutting down or exploding, and move through daily life with a sense of emotional resilience they didn’t know was possible.
Call to Action
If your emotions feel overwhelming, unpredictable, or “too much,” there is nothing wrong with you. Your nervous system is asking for support. ART can help you feel more regulated, confident, and grounded.
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Peer-Reviewed References
Badour, C. L., Blonigen, D. M., Boden, M. T., Feldner, M. T., & Bonn-Miller, M. O. (2017). A longitudinal test of the bi-directional associations between emotional reactivity and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126(6), 812–823.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
Lane, R. D., et al. (2015). Neural correlates of emotional awareness. Biological Psychology, 101, 110–118.
Kip, K. E., et al. (2020). Case report and theoretical description of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for trauma. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2413.