Somatic Experiencing and Addiction: Healing the Nervous System in Recovery
In this piece, Anna MacGillivray, RCC and Somatic Experiencing–trained clinician, explores the connection between addiction and the nervous system, and explains how Somatic Experiencing can help people find safety, regulation, and relief from compulsive cycles.
Maybe you’ve noticed a pattern: when stress builds or emotions feel unmanageable, you reach for something that takes the edge off — a drink, a pill, a hit, or whatever gives a moment of relief. For a few minutes, your body settles. Then the familiar guilt, fear, or frustration returns and you wonder, “Why do I keep doing this? Why can’t I stop?”
If this cycle feels familiar, you’re not alone and you’re not broken. What might look like “self-destruction” from the outside is often your nervous system’s best attempt to survive something overwhelming. Substance use can become a refuge when your body doesn’t feel safe, when emotions are too intense, or when numbness feels easier than pain.
Understanding addiction through this lens isn’t about minimizing the harm it can cause; it’s about seeing the full picture. Your nervous system has been trying to protect you, sometimes at a cost, and healing begins with understanding what’s happening beneath the surface.
Learn more about Somatic Experiencing at Nimble Counselling
Addiction Through a Nervous System Lens
Forget the willpower and morality myths, trauma science shows that addiction is often a nervous system survival strategy. In other words, the urges and compulsions that feel so automatic are your body’s way of trying to cope with overwhelm, pain, or stress.
Think about when you’re startled or under threat: your body might go into fight, flight, freeze, or collapse mode. These are hard-wired responses designed to protect you. In a dangerous situation, you don’t have to think about what to do, your nervous system takes over. It floods you with energy to run or fight, or it might shut you down to help you survive the unsolvable. Addictive behaviours often emerge from this same place of automatic survival. If your system is stuck on high alert (constant fight-or-flight), you might reach for alcohol or pills to calm down. If you’re locked in freeze or collapse (numbness and disconnection), you might use something stimulating or anything that makes you feel again, even temporarily. Over time, these responses become ingrained. The drink, the drug, the binge, etc. happen before you’re even fully conscious of it. They’re the body’s learned shortcuts to escape an unbearable state.
Addiction isn’t just about habits or willpower; underneath, there’s often a dysregulated nervous system driving those behaviours. Unresolved trauma or chronic stress can leave your body stuck in survival mode long after the original danger has passed. Your fight-flight-freeze responses may be firing off at the slightest hint of stress, even if you’re not aware of it. This makes certain feelings really hard to sit with. For instance, a sudden wave of anxiety might flood your system with adrenaline (flight) or cause you to numb out (freeze). In that moment, without thinking, you reach for whatever will soothe or numb the discomfort – pouring a drink, clicking “Add to Cart,” doom scrolling, etc. In its own way, your body is trying to help you regulate.
This is why addictive behaviours can feel so out-of-control – the reactions are rooted in the body, not just the mind. It’s not that you’re weak; it’s that your nervous system learned these behaviours give relief (even if only temporarily). Recognizing this truth can be a huge relief in itself. It means we can stop asking “What’s wrong with me?” and start asking, “What happened to me, and how is my body trying to protect me?” Addictions are not about brokenness or lack of character, they’re about coping, and the adaptive ways our bodies attempt to soothe our hurt.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
So, where does Somatic Experiencing come in? Somatic Experiencing(SE) is a trauma therapy that helps you work with your body to find safety and healing. It was developed by Dr. Peter Levine, who observed that wild animals shake off and release stress after life-threatening events, whereas we humans often hold onto it. SE is built on a simple yet profound idea: trauma lives in the body, not just the mind. Even after a painful or overwhelming event is over, our nervous system might still be stuck in that past threat response. The leftover “fight-or-flight” energy gets trapped in the body, leading to symptoms like chronic anxiety, a sense of being stuck on high alert, emotional numbness. Somatic Experiencing provides a way to gently release that stored survival energy and teach the nervous system that the danger has passed.
Healing Addiction with Somatic Experiencing
How can a body-focused approach like Somatic Experiencing help someone struggling with addiction? In short, by addressing the nervous system roots of those addictive cycles. Traditional talk therapy often focuses on thoughts, triggers, and coping strategies – all of which can be helpful. But if your body is sounding an alarm bell, you need a way to work with that alarm directly. SE offers exactly that: a way to calm the nervous system, build resilience to intense sensations, and process underlying trauma so that you don’t have to keep escaping your own feelings.
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Let’s break down a few key ways Somatic Experiencing can support addiction recovery:
Reconnecting with Your Body’s Signals: Many people struggling with substance use or compulsive behaviors feel disconnected from their bodies. You might be so used to numbing out that you barely notice tension, hunger, pain, or even emotion until it’s overwhelming. In SE, a therapist helps you tune into gentle physical sensations in a way that feels safe. This might start with noticing something neutral or pleasant, like the feeling of your feet on the ground. Over time, you learn to recognize the subtle signals your body gives. For example, you might catch that your chest tightens when a craving is building. By noticing these early signals, you can start intervening before autopilot takes over.
Building Capacity for Cravings and Emotions: One of the goals in Somatic Experiencing is to expand your window of tolerance – basically, your nervous system’s capacity to handle strong feelings or cravings without panicking or shutting down. In sessions, you practice experiencing a little bit of a difficult sensation, then returning to calm, and repeating this in small, manageable doses. For example, if a wave of craving comes up as a tightness in your throat, your therapist might help you notice it briefly, then shift your attention to something safe in the present (like the feeling of your feet on the floor). Going back and forth like this, you learn that sensations rise and fall like waves, and that you can handle the urge without immediately reacting. Over time, what felt unbearable – whether it’s anxiety, loneliness, or that itch for a fix – becomes more tolerable. The urge doesn’t have to boss you around; you can ride it out.
Completing the Stress Response (Releasing Trauma): Earlier we talked about those fight/flight/freeze responses that get locked in the body. SE provides a safe space to finally finish what needed to happen. Perhaps there was a time your body wanted to run or fight but couldn’t; that energy turned inward into anxiety. Or maybe you had to “play dead” (freeze) to survive; that energy later showed up as numbness or depression. In Somatic Experiencing, with the support of a caring therapist, your body can gently unwind these held responses. You might feel a spontaneous deep breath, a sigh, or even a slight shaking or warmth as the body discharges stored tension. These are signs your nervous system is letting go of that trapped survival energy. And indeed, as this release happens over time, people often find their cravings lessen. The compulsion to drink or use naturally fades as the underlying pressure (the unresolved pain) is finally relieved. In essence, you’re healing the wound at its source, rather than constantly battling the symptoms.
Softening Shame and Finding Compassion: Shame is a huge part of the addiction cycle for many. You might criticize yourself for “choosing” harmful behaviours, or feel judged by others. But when we reframe addiction as a survival strategy, we start to melt that shame. In SE therapy, everything is approached with compassion and curiosity, not judgment. Your urges and relapses are viewed as messages from your nervous system, not moral failures. For example, instead of “I screwed up by drinking again,” we might explore, “What was my body trying to seek or avoid in that moment?” Often, an addictive slip is trying to protect you from overwhelm. Recognizing this can bring a profound sense of relief and self-forgiveness. You learn to thank that part of you that reached for a coping mechanism — it was trying to help, even if its methods are now doing more harm than good. This might mean practicing a breathing technique, or reaching out to a supportive friend when you feel the urge, instead of automatically reaching for your old coping behaviour. Over time, as your nervous system settles, shame is gradually replaced by self-understanding. You start to feel less at war with yourself, and more trusting of your own inner signals.
All of these somatic shifts help you regain a sense of control and safety. Your body, once just reacting in distress, becomes an ally in your healing.
What Does a Somatic Experiencing Session Feel Like?
It’s natural to feel nervous about trying a new kind of therapy, but Somatic Experiencing sessions are very gentle and slow-paced. You are always in control of the process, and safety is the top priority. You won’t be pushed to relive your trauma or talk about anything before you’re ready. Instead, your therapist will help you tune into what’s happening in your body in the moment. For example, if your shoulders hunch up while discussing something stressful, they might guide you to notice that sensation and maybe take a breath or stretch. By exploring these physical cues, your body can begin to release some of its tension without you needing to put everything into words. SE sessions are often subtle but powerful – you might leave feeling a little lighter or more present. Over time, these small shifts add up. Many people find their cravings aren’t as intense, they feel more “in their body” (less numb or disconnected), and life starts to feel safer and more manageable as their nervous system settles.
Learn more about Anna and her approach in her bio
Finding Support: Somatic Experiencing in Vancouver and BC
In Vancouver and across B.C., more people are recognizing that addiction counselling needs to address both mind and body. Our fast-paced culture can disconnect us from ourselves, but true recovery often requires involving the nervous system, not just willpower. Trauma-informed, holistic approaches to addiction therapy are becoming more common, and they look at the whole person — not just the symptoms, but the underlying stress and trauma driving those cycles.
At Nimble Counselling, we take this to heart. We offer somatic, trauma-informed addiction therapy in Vancouver and online across B.C.. Our approach is collaborative, shame-free, and at your pace. We truly believe your system has been doing the best it can — and with gentle guidance, it can learn healthier ways to find relief.
It’s also worth noting that Somatic Experiencing can complement other forms of support. Some clients do SE alongside 12-step programs or medical treatment for withdrawal, for example. Somatic therapy isn’t a silver bullet or a standalone “cure” for addiction, but it creates a foundation where other tools (like cognitive-behavioral strategies, group support, or medication) can work even better. When your nervous system is more regulated, you’re more able to make use of cognitive insights and you have more capacity to engage with life. Think of SE as repairing the engine of a car – once the engine runs smoothly, the rest of the vehicle can function properly. In the same way, settling your nervous system can make all other aspects of recovery come easier.
Somatic Experiencing isn’t only for severe cases. Even if you don’t consider your experiences “traumatic,” if you’re stuck in a compulsive or self-defeating pattern that you can’t change through willpower or talk alone, a body-based approach might be the missing piece. Many people try talk therapy and still feel something unresolved – that’s often where somatic work helps. When we listen to the body, it can unlock progress that the mind alone couldn’t achieve.
Moving Forward with Compassion
Healing from addiction is a journey. And as you take the next steps, remember: there is no shame in how you coped. Every part of you was trying to keep you alive. Now, with support, those same survival energies can learn to thrive rather than just survive.
You deserve to feel safe in your own body. That might feel like a distant goal right now, but with time and support, it can be rebuilt. Somatic Experiencing is one avenue to help that happen. It’s not about fighting your impulses, but about listening to them in a new way. And often, when we do that, the frantic urge to escape begins to calm. In its place, a sense of wholeness and self-compassion can grow.
Whenever you feel ready, we’re here to support you.
Anna MacGillivray is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) in Vancouver with specialized training in Somatic Experiencing and a passion for helping individuals break free from trauma and addictive cycles. She approaches counselling with warmth and a deep respect for the wisdom of your body. Whether you’re in Vancouver or elsewhere in B.C., you can book a session with Anna to explore this approach in a safe, supportive environment.
Remember: reaching out for help isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s courage. It might be a gentler, slower path than the quick fix of addiction, but it leads to real freedom, self-understanding, and a life where you feel present and truly alive.
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