How to Tell the Difference Between Your Intuition and a Trauma Response

We’ve all had those moments when our gut says “don’t do it”—but we’re not sure if that’s wisdom speaking or fear disguised as protection.For trauma survivors and highly sensitive people especially, it can be tricky to tell whether a strong internal signal is intuitive knowing or a conditioned survival response.

Let’s unpack how to discern the difference so you can trust yourself more deeply.

1. Understand What Each One Is

Intuition is a calm, grounded knowing. It comes from an integrated nervous system that’s tuned into subtle cues and wisdom from your body, experience, and deeper self. It doesn’t shout—it whispers. It often feels quietly right, even when it doesn’t make logical sense.

Trauma responses, on the other hand, are protective reflexes. They arise when your nervous system detects threat—real or perceived—and mobilizes to keep you safe. They can look like:

• Fight (defensiveness, irritation)

• Flight (avoidance, busyness)

• Freeze (shut down, indecision)

• Fawn (people-pleasing, over-explaining)

These are intelligent, adaptive patterns—but they come from fear, not clarity.

2. Notice the Quality of the Energy

When you’re tuned into intuition, your body often feels open, spacious, or settled—even if the decision feels big or uncomfortable. With trauma responses, the energy feels urgent, tight, or chaotic.

Ask yourself:

• Does this feel like pressure or peace?

• Am I being pulled by something wise—or pushed by fear?

• Is my body tense or steady?

Intuition tends to feel like an exhale. Trauma tends to feel like an alarm.

3. Check for Urgency and Narrative

Intuition doesn’t rush you. It may guide you to act, but it won’t panic you into movement. Trauma responses are time-sensitive—they say “now or else.”

Also notice the story behind the sensation:

• Intuition usually offers a simple truth: “This isn’t right for me.”

• Trauma adds a backstory: “If I say no, they’ll leave me.” There's a lot of mental chatter, counter-arguing in your mind.

When your inner voice starts predicting rejection, punishment, or failure, you’re likely hearing from a protective part—not your intuitive self.

4. Look at What the Voice Wants for You

Intuition wants alignment and authenticity—it moves you toward wholeness.Trauma wants safety and control—it moves you away from perceived danger.

Both want to protect you, but their methods differ.Intuition trusts your resilience.Trauma doubts it.

A quick reflection: “Is this voice helping me expand—or contract?”

5. Ground and Revisit Later

If you’re unsure, pause.Breathe.Step outside.Touch something real.

When your nervous system is regulated, clarity returns.What once felt terrifying may now feel neutral—or still deeply wrong, confirming the truth of your intuition.

Time and grounding are your best filters.

6. Healing Makes Intuition Louder

As you heal trauma and learn to regulate your body, the static quiets down.Your intuitive signals become clearer, more consistent, and less reactive.

Practices that help:

• Somatic therapy or EMDR to resolve stored threat responses

• Mindfulness and breathwork to build awareness of body cues

• Journaling: “What does intuition feel like in my body? What does fear feel like?”

• Reparenting or IFS-style self-inquiry to soothe protective parts

With healing, your nervous system learns that safety and intuition can coexist.

Final Thought

Your trauma responses are not your enemy—they’re evidence of how hard you worked to survive.But your intuition is your compass for thriving.

Learning to tell the difference isn’t about suppressing fear—it’s about listening to it with compassion, then letting your deeper wisdom take the lead.

When your body feels safe, your intuition becomes clear.

Stephanie Post, PsyD. is a somatic psychologist and embodiment coach serving the San Francisco Bay Area. She specializes in trauma, and helps adults with anxiety, depression, self-esteem find confidence and peace using EMDR, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, IFS, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Contact her here.