@raqueldamecour: Part 1: Lacking Gag Reflex C-PTSD arises from chronic, interpersonal, and unavoidable trauma. When the threat is inescapable, your brain’s last line of defense can be to mentally escape by freezing/numbing. This is called dissociation, and it resides on a spectrum. Somatic symptoms, such as depersonalization, are one way dissociation presents itself. A lack of a gag reflex (neural arc) and vomiting reflex (receptor site in brain) together can point to an overall Systemic Interoceptive Blunting and desensitization of the Vagus Nerve's role in interoception due to trauma. The most telling part of this is the lack of vomiting reflex, where the vomiting centre in the medulla oblongata receives the notification from the gag reflex (physical contact in the back of the throat) and from the gut/bloodstream (chemical signals of toxins). The medulla oblongata, which is the vomiting centre in the brainstem, acts as the final decision-maker for initiating the reflex to puke. When the nervous system is stuck in chronic freeze, the medulla adopts a high threshold for action. So, if you’re put under enough chronic trauma where you feel stuck, your body may dissociate, and this could present as numbing. If your nervous system takes this very far for a long time, it can become a systemic default to fully numb all warning signals (emotional, psychological, physical). This can include warning signals that you’re choking on something (gag reflex) and your body needs to expel toxins (vomiting reflex). Quick but important note: I am not a medical professional, therapist, or licensed counselor. I'm sharing this information based solely on my own CPTSD diagnosis, personal research, and lived experience. This is not medical advice, and you should always consult a licensed professional for any diagnosis or treatment. #CPTSD #Dissociation #TraumaHealing #SomaticSymptoms #Interoception

Raquel Damecour

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Tuesday 28 October 2025 21:21:19 GMT