Feeling The Cold - Physical Reaction To Trauma

[Anna]

I also feel the cold more than others. I sleep with socks in bed as well to keep warm! Cliche? socks in bed!

Problem is my partner is the opposite, so this causes problems in winter, especially with the central heating!

What is weird, when I was underweight and had a BMI of 17 I never felt the cold. It only recently happened the past 10 years or so. In my case I think it is hormonal contraception. Since I take the pill I freeze more.

 

[Meadowsweet]

I don't get cold as soon as the temperature drops. So I would say I'm not naturally a physically cold person.

But I get shivery cold in response to trauma. But it quite specifically doesn't happen with everyday stress, it only happens with high anxiety in response to trauma and it has a very different feel to normal cold. It is more similar to being ill and feeling cold on the inside.

I feel similar if my blood sugar is low because I've not eaten, or if I'm extremely tired. And if I meditate or do deep relaxation, I will feel that kind of cold too. But it has a different edge to it than the trauma response.

It's not something I can explain very well sorry. But it makes me think that if it is a regular thing and not directly linked to trauma when it occurs, it could be to do with lowered blood pressure, or not eating or sleeping enough rather than being directly linked to trauma.

But I think it's important to know so that you can find how best to deal with it.

 

[Girl3]

I was always cold - my hands would turn blue, my feet. Then when I would try to warm them up I'd get hives. My mother thought I was faking it all somehow. My coldness became a source of shame like everything else. And bathing in exceedingly hot water to warm up and wash away the shame was my ritual.

But when I got pregnant with my daughter, I became warm - too warm. Now that I am going through menopause I feel as if I shall catch fire. If by losing my sexuality in the change of life it releases me from my past, and I become warm - I'll forgoe the hormone replacement therapy.