E 378: Tammys Takes #49: When Your Nervous System Learned That Silence Was Safer

Adult Child of Dysfunction · Oct 3, 2026 · 12m

Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, Why didn't I say something? I knew exactly what I wanted to say—why couldn't I say it?

Maybe someone crossed a boundary and you froze. Maybe you automatically said, “It's fine,” even though it wasn't. Maybe someone asked what you wanted and you immediately said, “I don't care.” Then, 20 minutes later, when you were safely by yourself, all the words finally came.

That doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a voice.

Your nervous system may have learned that using it wasn't safe.

In this Tammy's Takes, I'm going deeper into something that…