People-Pleasing. Overachieving. Perfectionism. Dr. Aimie Apigian on the Biology of Trauma Patterns That Hijack Your Health—and How to Heal Your Nervous System for Good

Everyday Ancestral with James Barry

What if the anxiety, burnout, or fatigue you are feeling is not in your head but in your biology? In this conversation, Dr. Aimie Apigian breaks down how trauma gets stored in the body and what it really takes to feel safe, energized and alive again.

Aimie shares her own story of becoming a foster parent and later adopting during medical school, and how that experience opened her eyes to the limits of traditional approaches to trauma. She explains why talk therapy is not always enough and offers practical ways to start making changes in the body right away.

Whether you have been in survival mode for years or just feel stuck, this episode is a reminder that healing does not have to be a mystery. It just has to start with the nervous system.

Key Takeaways

Trauma Lives in the Body – Unresolved experiences get stored in our biology, shaping patterns like anxiety, fatigue, or disconnection.

Survival Mode Patterns – People-pleasing, perfectionism, and overachieving often reveal a nervous system stuck in trauma.

Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough – True healing requires engaging the biology of trauma, not just the mind.

Safety Is the Foundation – Healing starts when the nervous system experiences real cues of safety, not just intellectual understanding.

Small Shifts Create Change – It can take just 30–60 seconds to calm the body and shift out of survival mode.

Hope for Lasting Healing – By addressing the mind, body, and biology, it’s possible to break lifelong trauma patterns and step into vitality.

Where to Find Our Guest

Dr. Aimie Apigian’s Website: http://www.biologyoftrauma.com

Dr. Aimie Apigian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draimie/

Dr. Aimie Apigian on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/draimie/

Dr. Aimie Apigian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-aimie-apigian

Dr. Aimie Apigian on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrAimieApigian

Dr. Aimie Apigian on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.aimieofficial

Links & Resources

Dr. Aimie Apigian’s Book, The Biology of Trauma: https://www.biologyoftrauma.com/book

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