Somatic is the word I didn’t know I needed.

In my healing journey it keeps showing up like it’s trying to teach me something I can’t unsee.

I live with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD).
And I’ve learned they don’t just sit in the body they sit in the nervous system. In the wiring. In the survival responses that never switched off.

My nervous system didn’t fail me.
It adapted to what I went through.

But the adaptation has a cost.

Some days my world only shrinks down to:
lying down
silence
low light
no movement
no stimulation
just existing until my body stops screaming

That’s the only time I get relief.

And the thing that actually makes sense in all of it is somatic work.

Not fixing.
Not forcing.
Not pushing through.

Just learning how to speak the language my body is stuck in.

Safety.
Stillness.
Signals that say: you’re not in danger anymore.

Somatic healing means working with the body to help the nervous system feel safe again through gentle awareness, grounding, breath, rest, pressure, and small movements that tell the brain it can come out of survival mode.

For FND and PPPD, this matters because healing isn’t always about doing more.
Sometimes it looks like doing absolutely nothing
on purpose
so, the nervous system can finally stop fighting life.

I don’t always get it right.
Some days my body wins. Some days I collapse into it.

But I’m learning that healing isn’t loud.

Gentle Understanding: What is FND? What is PPPD?

What is FND?

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a condition where the brain and body struggle to communicate clearly.

The nervous system sends signals that can create very real symptomssuch as weakness, tremors, pain, fatigue, sensory changes, or difficulties with movement and speech even when scans or tests don’t always show structural damage.

FND is not “all in your head.”
It is a disorder of nervous system functioning, often deeply connected to stress, trauma, and how the brain has adapted to protect you.

What is PPPD?

Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic dizziness condition that affects balance, movement, and how the brain processes sensory information.

It can feel like:
☐ Constant rocking, swaying, or floating sensations
☐ Feeling worse when upright or moving
☐ Increased symptoms in busy or visually stimulating spaces
☐ Relief when lying down, resting, or reducing input

PPPD is often linked to an overprotective nervous system that stays on high alert, even when there is no immediate danger.

Why somatic work matters

Both FND and PPPD involve a nervous system that may be stuck in survival mode.

Somatic healing helps create gentle signals of safety through rest, grounding, stillness, breath, and small intentional movements so the brain and body can slowly begin to feel safe enough to regulate again.