You know you are safe, yet anxiety lingers. You want a healthy relationship, but you brace for rejection. A harmless comment triggers a reaction that seems out of proportion. According to Judith A. Swack, Ph.D., a biochemist, immunologist, and originator of the Healing from the Body Level Up™ (HBLU™) methodology, these experiences often point to unconscious emotional patterns formed by troubling or traumatic events.
"Functioning and healing aren't necessarily the same thing," Swack explains. People can cope with difficult experiences without resolving the emotional patterns that continue to influence their perceptions, reactions, and decisions. These patterns can create negative conclusions about ourselves, others, and the world, shaping how we interpret events even when circumstances change. "Until trauma is cleared at the body level, it keeps repeating and you keep reacting," she says. "That's why you can understand your trauma, and still feel stuck in it."
The distinction matters because coping mechanisms, while helpful for daily life, do not necessarily resolve the underlying issue. Avoiding painful memories or working around emotional triggers can leave the original pattern intact. When old patterns resurface, they may appear as anxiety, defensiveness, heightened reactivity, or chronic stress. During Emotional Wellness Month in October, Swack encourages people to consider whether past experiences are influencing their present reactions by asking a few pointed questions: Is my reaction larger than the situation warrants? Does this same emotional response recur in different circumstances? What am I assuming this situation means about me, others, or the world? Could an older emotional pattern be influencing my response?
These questions can help identify recurring patterns and the beliefs or emotions behind them, offering a starting point for addressing reactions rather than simply trying to control them. "It requires a lot of energy to consciously or unconsciously suppress and compensate for trauma reactions," Swack says. "This energy drain makes it difficult for people to be completely successful, to fully enjoy their life in the present, and to easily progress into the future."
Swack developed HBLU to address trauma at the conscious, unconscious, body, and soul levels. Drawing on scientific research and decades of clinical experience, she helps individuals address emotional patterns associated with trauma, anxiety, and other forms of distress. Her book, Clear Trauma Now: The Powerful Solution for Getting Unstuck, outlines her approach for those who have not found success with traditional methods. Emotional wellness, she emphasizes, means recognizing not only what is happening now but also how the past may shape present-day perceptions and behavior. Identifying these patterns can be an important step toward meaningful change, and for those seeking more information, her online press kit is available at drjudithswack.onlinepresskit247.com.
