Is this normal?
When something hits hard, the first thought is usually:
this can’t be normal.
The intensity feels wrong.
The speed feels wrong.
The reaction feels out of proportion.
So the mind looks for meaning.
Or danger.
Or something that explains why it feels this strong.
Most of the time, nothing unusual is happening.
Strong reactions often come from timing,
not severity.
Fatigue.
Stress stacking.
Expectation breaking.
When those line up, the response feels extreme,
even if the situation isn’t.
That mismatch is what creates confusion.
Not the event itself.
Normal doesn’t mean comfortable.
It just means familiar to the nervous system,
even if it doesn’t feel that way in the moment.