“I Used to Be Able to Handle It All—What Happened?”: Understanding Nervous System Collapse
If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I used to juggle so much more—what’s wrong with me?”—you’re not alone. I hear this all the time from clients. High performers. Givers. The ones who used to thrive under pressure… until they didn’t.
Suddenly, you can’t bounce back like you used to. You cry more easily. Your motivation feels spotty. Even small tasks feel overwhelming. And instead of powering through, your body is saying “no more.”
What’s happening isn’t a failure of willpower—it’s a nervous system that’s hit its max.
Your Nervous System Isn’t Broken—It’s Burned Out
The human nervous system is designed to help you survive and adapt. It swings between activation (like fight-or-flight) and regulation (rest-and-digest). But when chronic stress is your baseline, your system can get stuck in survival mode.
Eventually, if the stress continues and your body doesn’t get a chance to recover, it may shift into what’s known as a collapsed state—think freeze, numbness, shutdown. This is your nervous system pulling the emergency brake.
Here’s how it works:
At first, stress = overdrive. You’re doing everything—working late, staying productive, holding it all together.
Over time, stress = depletion. Your system can no longer keep up with the demand.
Finally, stress = collapse. Your body pulls you into shutdown for protection. You’re not lazy—you’re overwhelmed at a cellular level.
This is a common but misunderstood part of the burnout cycle. You didn’t “lose your edge”—your body finally just had enough.
“But I Used to Be Fine…”
Of course you did. You adapted to what life demanded. You got used to functioning in high-alert mode because it worked—for a while. But just because you could handle it all doesn’t mean it was sustainable.
Your past capacity was likely built on adrenaline, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or survival instincts you didn’t even realize were running the show. If your body is now rejecting that pace, it’s not betraying you—it’s finally being honest.
This is where interventions like somatic therapy can be a powerful tool. It helps you understand your nervous system patterns, track your internal signals, and build a more regulated baseline—one that doesn’t rely on pushing through.
Signs You Might Be in a Collapsed State:
You feel numb or disconnected from yourself or your emotions
You avoid tasks you used to manage easily
You need more rest but feel guilty taking it
You’re not bouncing back from stress the way you used to
Motivation feels low even though your to-do list is high
Sound familiar?
You’re not broken—you’re maxed out. And this moment isn’t the end of your capacity; it’s the start of a different kind of strength. One built on sustainability, regulation, and self-trust—not overextension.
Let’s Redefine What “Handling It” Looks Like
If your nervous system is collapsing, it’s asking for something different: slower pace, deeper rest, better boundaries. Not more optimization or another productivity hack.
This isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
Feeling like you’re running on fumes? You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Somatic therapy can help you understand what your body is telling you—and how to build back your capacity in a way that lasts. Let’s talk about how therapy can support you. Reach out to me today to get started.