You know you are safe, yet anxiety persists. You want a healthy relationship, but you anticipate rejection. A harmless comment triggers a reaction that feels out of proportion. According to Judith A. Swack, Ph.D., these experiences often stem from unconscious emotional patterns formed by troubling or traumatic events. Swack, a biochemist, immunologist, and originator of the Healing from the Body Level Up™ (HBLU™) methodology, argues that functioning and healing are not the same thing. People can cope with difficult experiences without resolving the emotional patterns that continue to shape their perceptions, reactions, and decisions.
These patterns can create negative conclusions about ourselves, others, and the world, influencing how we interpret events even when circumstances change. "Until trauma is cleared at the body level, it keeps repeating and you keep reacting," Swack says. "That's why you can understand your trauma, and still feel stuck in it." Although coping mechanisms help people manage daily life, avoiding painful memories or working around emotional triggers does not necessarily resolve the underlying issue. When old patterns resurface, they can manifest 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. She suggests asking: 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, combines scientific research with decades of clinical experience to help individuals address trauma, anxiety, and chronic conditions. Swack trains professionals worldwide and works with clients who have not found success with traditional approaches. Her work focuses on identifying and clearing the root patterns that drive emotional and physical distress. 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.
