BODY GUARDED

Living with an unpredictable parent meant your nervous system learned to stay in a state of heightened guard, scanning for the subtle signs that calm was about to turn to chaos. You became a master at reading micro-expressions, voice tones, and energy shifts—skills that genuinely serve you well in reading people and situations 🎯.

Your body developed this incredible early warning system that kept you safe when words and promises couldn't be trusted. But now your muscles stay tense even in safe spaces, your stomach churns at social events 🍷, and you find yourself physically bracing for disaster even when everything is going well. Your nervous system is still protecting the child who never knew when the next shoe would drop 👟.