Combined with an overactive amygdala, the prefrontal cortex can have a harder time overriding the fight, flight, or freeze response.Īs such, you may feel like you have a hard time controlling your fear response or struggle with logical thinking. This suppression can slow down the learning of new information that could help you control your fear. For those living with trauma, research shows that the prefrontal cortex is less active. Located at the front of your brain, the prefrontal cortex is the rational, decision-making area. This can make it hard for you to distinguish between the past and present, keeping you in a constant state of hypervigilance or strong emotional reactivity. Research shows that the hippocampus is smaller and less active in people who’ve experienced trauma, which can create issues around memory and problem-solving. Located at the back of the brain, the hippocampus is considered the learning center. So, when you’re reminded of a past experience, it responds exactly as it would if you were experiencing the traumatic event for the first time, sending out a rush of stress hormones, like cortisol.Īs a result, you may feel like you’re on edge, on high alert, or have high levels of stress or anxiety all the time. If you’re living with trauma, research shows that your amygdala doesn’t recognize the difference between a threat then and a threat now. This 1-inch, almond-shaped area of the brain is considered the “fire alarm.” Once it senses danger, the amygdala is the part that kicks you into fight-or-flight mode. Here are some of the lasting impacts of trauma on the brain and how it leads to PTSD symptoms: Amygdala PTSD is, in essence, the brain staying in survival mode all the time, unable to relax. However, for some, this switch back does not occur. This allows your brain to resume normal functioning with all three parts, so you can “rest and digest” what has just happened. Once the threat has passed, your parasympathetic nervous system comes back online. A fourth trauma response has also been introduced: the fawn response. This activates the sympathetic nervous system and signals the release of stress hormones, preparing you for survival mode: fight, flight, or freeze. When you experience something traumatic, the brain shuts down all nonessential systems and moves into the “lower” brain systems. This is responsible for sensory processing, learning, memory, decision-making, and complex problem-solving. It also regulates attachment and reproduction. This contains the limbic system, which processes emotions like joy and fear. This houses your survival instincts and manages autonomic body processes, like heart rate, breathing, hunger, and thirst. The brain can be divided into three main parts, from simple to complex: To this day, it still holds up as a basic way to understand cognitive functioning. The Triune Brain model was introduced back in the 1960s by neuroscientist Paul D. To understand why PTSD develops, it can be helpful to have a basic understanding of the brain. In the United States, 3.6% of adults have PTSD, and 37% of those have symptoms that are considered severe, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Here’s why it happens and what you can do to heal from trauma. If post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops, it can lead to lasting changes in the brain and, without treatment, may prevent you from living the happiest, healthiest life possible. It over-relies on these blueprints from the past, creating a sense of danger in the present, long after the threat is gone. With trauma, your brain wants to keep you safe so badly that it works overtime. Each memory acts as a blueprint to help us learn, noting important details like where we were, what we smelled, what we saw, who was there, or what we were feeling, among other things. As we move through life, our brain converts experiences into memories so that we can move toward things that feel good and move away from things that feel not-so-good. If you don’t quite feel “back to normal” after a traumatic event, you’re not alone - and here’s why.īeautiful and complex, our brains have one main job: to keep us safe. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of emotional psychological trauma.Trauma can alter the structure and function of your brain in many ways. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The nomenclature, definition and distinction of types of shock. Dictionary of Psychology.Ĭleveland Clinic. doi:10.1007/s1192-yĪmerican Psychological Association. Dissociation and alterations in brain function and structure. Krause-Utz A, Frost R, Winter D, Elzinga BM.
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