The Neurobiology of Cassandra Syndrome: Trauma Physiology Explained
Most conversations about “Cassandra Syndrome” stop at words like stress , burnout , or emotional exhaustion . But those words are too small. What many partners experience in chronically misattuned relationships is not simply frustration. It is prolonged autonomic activation in the context of attachment disruption. And attachment disruption is one of the most powerful biological stressors in adult life. If you’re a clinician, coach, or analytically minded partner, this lens matters. Because once we shift from psychology alone to physiology, everything starts to make sense. Let’s walk through what’s actually happening in the body. Chronic Emotional Vigilance Is Autonomic Activation In relational systems where emotional attunement is inconsistent, dismissive, or unpredictable, the nervous system does not stay neutral. It adapts. When bids for connection are regularly met with withdrawal, tone shifts, stonewalling, cognitive reframing without empathy, or emotional invalidation, th...
