Not all childhood wounds come from obvious harm. Sometimes it’s what was missing — steady presence, emotional mirroring, reliable attunement.

When safety is inconsistent, the nervous system adapts. The body learns to stay alert. Watchfulness feels normal. Tension becomes background.

Those adaptations don’t disappear. They shape how we relate, rest, handle stress, and interpret ourselves. What we call “just the way I am” may be the long-term imprint of chronic attunement insufficiency — and regulatory capacity can be rebuilt.