How to Tell the Difference (Without Needing a Degree in Psychology or a Séance)
You Know the Feeling…
You’re standing in line at the coffee shop. Someone behind you clears their throat—audibly—and suddenly your brain’s throwing a DEFCON-level alert. The barista’s too chipper, the music is too loud, and your gut says “RUN.” But is that your intuition talking? Or is your trauma pulling the fire alarm again because it remembers that time in 1998 when someone ghosted you after coffee and a confusing forehead kiss?
Welcome to the gray zone—where gut instincts and old wounds wear the same trench coat and try to convince you they’re “just looking out for you.”
Before you jump to conclusions (or into your ex’s DMs for closure), let’s sort it out.
Trauma and Intuition: A Case of Mistaken Identity
The tricky part? Trauma and intuition feel eerily similar in the body. They both live in your nervous system, they both offer cryptic advice, and they both want you to avoid pain. But here’s the catch:
-
Intuition speaks softly and wisely, like a grandmother who’s seen some things.
-
Trauma yells like a sleep-deprived toddler with abandonment issues and a megaphone.
To make things more complex, mainstream media and even some therapeutic spaces tend to either over-spiritualize intuition or over-pathologize trauma. That’s where reputable resources like Mindful.org come in—grounding the conversation in both science and soul.
Three Ways to Tell the Difference (Without Crying in Target Again)
🧠 1. Check the Sensation
-
Intuition feels grounded—even when it warns you. Think: calm clarity.
-
Trauma feels chaotic. It surges. It wants control. It makes you want to text your therapist mid-grocery run.
📝 2. Ask: “Is This Pattern Familiar?”
-
If the feeling is attached to an old wound—say, abandonment or betrayal—it’s likely trauma playing dress-up.
-
If it feels new, specific, and untainted by your history? You might be on Team Intuition.
🔁 3. Timing and Tone
-
Intuition doesn’t demand you act now or else. Trauma does.
-
Intuition doesn’t spin a narrative. Trauma creates a whole cinematic universe starring your worst-case scenario.
Let’s Normalize the Confusion
This isn’t about shaming trauma—it’s about giving it a seat at the table without letting it drive the damn car. Trauma’s job is protection. Intuition’s job is direction. Both want you to be okay, but only one is working with a full emotional vocabulary and a GPS signal.
According to Psychology Today...
According to Psychology Today, distinguishing between emotional flashbacks and genuine insight is a cornerstone of trauma-informed self-awareness. (Translation: you’re not crazy, you’re just healing in high definition.)
Healing Is the Key to Better Listening
Your intuition can’t speak clearly over the static of unresolved trauma. The more you heal, the more attuned you become. Trust me, I’m living proof: a formerly emotionally avoidant raccoon turned intuitive badass.
And healing doesn’t have to look like seven-day silent retreats or drinking mushroom tea in the desert. It might just be not spiraling when someone doesn’t text back right away. That, my friend, is sacred.
Let’s Recap (Because ADHD Brains Love Structure)
-
Trauma is loud. Intuition is clear.
-
Trauma wants certainty. Intuition invites curiosity.
-
Trauma says, “Don’t trust.” Intuition says, “Trust yourself.”
💌 Final Thoughts from Your Favorite Neurospicy Truth-Teller
You're not dramatic. You're not broken. You're not "making everything about your childhood." You're decoding patterns, untangling your inner mythos, and trying to avoid another spiritual faceplant. That’s healing.
🔮 Want More Chaos, Clarity, and Caffeine-Driven Insight?
🧠 Subscribe to the Chaotic Goodisms Newsletter for musings that feel like therapy, if therapy also roasted your trauma and offered snack recommendations.
📸 Follow @chaoticgoodism for spicy self-awareness, hilarious ADHD tangents, and healing wisdom disguised as memes.
🎧 Stay tuned for The Chaotic Good Podcast—coming soon. First episode: “Is This a Red Flag or Just a Beige Person With a Bad Vibe?”
Because decoding your gut feelings shouldn’t require a PhD—or another meltdown in aisle 7.
Add comment
Comments