Estimated Read Time: 5 Minutes Summary It’s common to expect that healing will feel good, but for many in recovery, joy or peace can feel:  unfamiliar  even dangerous.  This post explores why feeling better sometimes sparks anxiety, especially for those with a trauma history or long-term mental illness. With gentle reflection and evidence-based insight, we’ll unpack how to trust wellness again and why discomfort in joy doesn’t mean you’re broken. “When Joy Feels Foreign” There was a moment a few months ago when I laughed,  really laughed, and immediately felt this strange, hollow tug in my chest. Instead of enjoying the joy, I started bracing for what would go wrong. My brain whispered, “Don’t get used to this.” For most of my life, I was either surviving something or recovering from something. And even in recovery, I’ve been conditioned to scan for the next wave, the next crash, the next shoe to drop. I was feeling okay, but I didn’t feel safe; it felt like a ...