Emotional repression is often invisible to high performers, and it can be one of the biggest barriers to sustainable success. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore how trauma-shaped survival responses like fight, flight, freeze, and fawn can create patterns of overwork, perfectionism, and emotional disconnection.
You'll learn how subconscious repression differs from conscious suppression, how shame and perfectionism drive overachievement, and why even big business milestones can feel hollow when your nervous system isn't safe enough to process emotions.
Our guest, Margy Feldhuhn, shares her journey from multi–seven-figure business growth fueled by survival patterns to building capacity for joy, presence, and connection through Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI) tools and regular emotional processing.
We break down the health risks, relational costs, and business consequences of chronic repression and give you strategies to expand your emotional capacity so you can actually enjoy the success you've built.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why Anger Matters and the Cost of Suppression
04:06 – Honoring Anger and Boundaries
06:06 – How Chronic Fight Shows Up in Life
09:45 – Early Conditioning and Nervous System Patterns
13:00 – Trauma, Parentification, and the Fight Response
15:43 – Impact on Relationships and Work
21:21 – The Neuroscience of the Fight Response
31:41 – Physical and Health Effects of Chronic Fight
39:28 – Anger vs. Chronic Fight: Key Differences
42:09 – Processing Anger Safely
49:36 – Boundaries, Regulation, and Aligned Action
53:38 – Final Takeaway: Fight as Pattern, Anger as Compass
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
-
How trauma survival responses show up in high performers
-
The difference between suppression and repression
-
The role of shame and perfectionism in overachievement
-
Why business milestones can feel empty
-
How repression impacts health, relationships, and leadership capacity
-
Emotional hygiene for sustainable success
-
Recognizing survival patterns in entrepreneurial decision-making
-
Building nervous system capacity to enjoy success
-
The ripple effect of emotional processing in business and life
-
Practical tools to move from repression to authentic presence
🔗 Resources:
🎯 Start Here
FREE 2-week nervous system training: https://www.rewiretrial.com
Learn more about Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching: https://www.neurosomaticintelligence.com
📺 Watch More Trauma Rewired Episodes
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TraumaRewired
🤝 Connect with Us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma.rewired
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/761101225132846
🌱 Exclusive Offer
FREE 1 Year Supply of Vitamin D + 5 Travel Packs from Athletic Greens: https://www.drinkag1.com/rewired
Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.