Your Nervous System Isn't a Buzzkill

This Week’s Theme: Understanding & Reclaiming Pleasure After Trauma

Hey Love,

Ever had that moment during sex when your body suddenly checks out—even though your mind was 100% on board? That frustrating experience of wanting connection but finding yourself mysteriously numb, anxious, or floating near the ceiling watching yourself go through the motions?

This week, we're diving deep into understanding these experiences through the lens of polyvagal theory and nervous system responses. Because here's the truth: your body isn't betraying you during these moments. It's trying to protect you, operating on brilliantly adaptive (if outdated) safety protocols installed through past experiences.

Whether you've navigated trauma, religious conditioning, or simply lived in a culture that pathologizes pleasure—especially for marginalized bodies—your nervous system has learned specific protection patterns around vulnerability. Understanding these patterns isn't just fascinating neuroscience; it's the first step toward reclaiming your birthright to embodied pleasure.

Read the Blog Post:

Check out our newest article, "The Pleasure Shutdown: How Trauma Hijacks Your Nervous System During Sex (And How to Reclaim It)" for an in-depth exploration of the window of tolerance, trauma responses, and somatic approaches to sexual healing.

Listen to the Podcast:

This week's episodes explore the neurobiological roots of sexual disconnection and practical paths toward reclamation:

In "Beyond Freeze: Why Your Body Shuts Down During Sex (Polyvagal Theory for Trauma Survivors)," we decode the three nervous system states that influence your sexual experiences and how to recognize when you're leaving your window of tolerance during intimacy.

Then in "From Obedience to Orgasm: Reclaiming Your Pleasure After Religious & Sexual Trauma," we examine how religious and cultural conditioning hijacks your nervous system's relationship with pleasure and creates conflicting "parts" that show up during sexuality.

Grab Your Companion Worksheets:

This week's worksheets offer practical tools for mapping and expanding your capacity for pleasure:

Worksheet 1: Trust Issues & Trauma Tracks helps you chart your body's protective patterns through body mapping, sensory scales, and regulation practices.

Worksheet 2: Nervous System Dance Partners explores how your nervous system interacts with partners during intimacy and how to navigate the lingering impacts of religious conditioning.

👉 Download the Worksheets Here

Remember, loves—reclaiming your pleasure isn't self-indulgence. It's revolutionary resistance against systems that used your body as a site of control. Your journey toward embodied joy matters profoundly, and I'm honored to walk this path of liberation alongside you.

With fierce compassion and radical hope,

Dr. Misty