The 'window of tolerance' — a concept from trauma therapy — explains why post-traumatic stress disorder pushes us into states where we can't function well, and how to expand our capacity.
What Is the Window of Tolerance?
The window of tolerance is the zone of arousal in which we function optimally. Outside it:
- Hyperarousal (post-traumatic stress disorder 'too high'): Panic, overwhelm, rage, anxiety — above the window
- Hypoarousal (post-traumatic stress disorder 'too low'): Numbness, dissociation, shutdown, depression — below the window
How Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Narrows the Window
Trauma and chronic post-traumatic stress disorder narrow the window of tolerance, making us more easily triggered into dysregulated states by smaller stimuli.
Widening Your Window with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Trauma-informed therapy specifically works to widen the window of tolerance — building capacity to experience post-traumatic stress disorder triggers without dysregulation.
Titrated exposure (small doses of difficult material), somatic practices, and skill-building all contribute to window expansion.