Trauma in the Brain

u003colu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/what-is-post-traumatic-stress/u0022u003ePTSD Part 1: What is PTSD? u003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/how-ptsd-develops/u0022u003ePTSD Part 2: How Post-Traumatic Stress Can Lead to PTSDu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/trauma-in-brain/u0022u003ePTSD Part 3: Trauma in the Brainu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/self-regulation/u0022u003ePTSD Part 4: Understanding Self-Regulationu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/coping-skills-ptsd/u0022u003ePTSD Part 5: Developing Coping Strategiesu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/post-traumatic-growth/u0022u003ePTSD Part 6: Understanding Post-Traumatic Growthu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ernu003c/olu003e

u003ch5u003eWorksheets/Lessons:u003c/h5u003ernDuring this workshop, there will be a series of lessons with accompanying exercises that you will be able to u003ca href=u0022https://recovery.force.com/app/s/login/?ec=302u0026amp;startURL=%2Fapp%2Fs%2Fu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopener external nofollowu0022u003eaccess through our recovery portal, Swellu003c/au003e.rnu003ch5u003eu003cstrongu003eArticles:u003c/strongu003eu003c/h5u003ernu003culu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/ptsd/#Types_of_PTSD_Related_Conditionsu0022u003eTypes of PTSD u0026amp; Related Conditionsu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/ptsd/ptsd-statistics/u0022u003ePrevalence of PTSD in Men and Womenu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/ptsd/what-does-ptsd-feel-like/u0022u003eWhat Does PTSD Feel Like?u003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/ptsd/ptsd-myths/u0022u003e8 Common Myths About PTSDu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003ernu003ch5u003eVideos/Webinars:u003c/h5u003ernu003culu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/professionals/webinars/critical-events-stress-management/u0022u003eCritical Events and Stress Managementu003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/professionals/webinars/secondary-trauma-vs-vicarious/u0022u003eWhat is Secondary Trauma u0026amp; Vicarious Trauma?u003c/au003eu003c/liu003ern tu003cliu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/coping-with-trauma/u0022u003eCoping with Traumau003c/au003eu003c/liu003ernu003c/ulu003e

u003ch3u003eTrauma in the Brainu003c/h3u003ernIn this lesson, we will review trauma in the brain. At the end of this lesson, you should have a greater understanding of the neurological processes that inform symptoms of PTSD, as well as interventions that can help mitigate those symptoms.rnrnAt its most basic, our response to a stressful situation, be it trauma or simple day to day stress. It’s a biological and automatic response.rnrnWhen we talk about PTSD, what this means is that the traits associated with PTSD and other stress disorders are actually based on biological responses that were set up to help us survive. These processes within our bodies are in place to protect us but after trauma, they may become over activated.rnrnOur experiences of PTSD don’t just stay with one aspect of our lives, but rather their emotional reactions and experiences, physical experiences and physiological experience. There’s a lot that goes on when we’re faced with something that threatens us.rnrnSo in this lesson what I’m looking for, is to provide you an understanding of the basics of how the brain reacts to trauma so that you will have a better chance to understand what’s actually happening and not feeling as overwhelmed because you recognize it for what it is, a biological and automatic response that may be a little overactive. We can then intervene accordingly.rnrnu003cstrongu003eLet’s look at the brain.u003c/strongu003ernrnThere’s a whole lot that goes on in the brain. It’s a very complex organ within the human body, but there are three parts of the brain that are generally associated with the stress response. There’s the amygdala, the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex.rnrnThe amygdala has a close association with the olfactory cortex, with the way we process smell. That becomes relevant in our experience of trauma. In the prefrontal cortex, there’s also this part of the brain called Broca’s area that’s associated with language and that also becomes relevant as we talk about the experiences we have with trauma.rnrnBehavior, regulation, emotional memories, memory consolidation, decision making and learning all come into play as we react to trauma. Let’s talk about what actually happens when we have a traumatic event.rnrnIt’s important to know that traumatic memory is stored differently than standard memories. Standard memories can fade over time, details get a little fuzzy. Whereas traumatic memory often remains very sharp and clear over time. This is in part because of its association with the amygdala and less with the hippocampus. But there’s a lot of different factors that go in with that.rnrnWe also have difficulties concentrating or making decisions. And let’s talk a little bit about what we call the “amygdala hijack.” When our bodies react in distress, our amygdala kicks in and it becomes more reactive.rnrnSo what happens is, we have a strong emotional reaction to what is perceived as a stressor. There is a sudden onset of this reaction in our response. And it’s only after that episode in which we’ve responded that we realize whether or not that reaction was appropriate.rnrnAdditionally, you may find that your emotions and your feelings of frustration or aggression may be more reactive or more sensitive at this point in time. You may see that you have impulse control issues. You have a feeling, you act on it. Then in retrospect, you’re not sure why.rnrnYou may find you’re unable to put words to your experience. Some people have also talked about not doing anything or not saying anything when they’ve been in a traumatic setting and feeling guilty that they didn’t do anything or say anything. But these are actually associated with our prefrontal cortex, and that Broca’s area that I mentioned earlier is associated with our access to language so that gets compromised when we’re in a traumatic situation. So it’s not surprising that we have no words to explain or experience or that we didn’t say anything when we’ve been under duress.rnrnWe also have strong reactions to smells that are associated with trauma. I mentioned earlier also that the amygdala and the olfactory cortex are very close to each other. And when the amygdala is activated for emotional memories, that taps into that sense of smell. Studies show that there’s a 75% efficacy in identifying a smell when it’s associated with a witness trauma.rnrnu003cstrongu003eSo what does this all mean?u003c/strongu003ernrnBig takeaway here is that trauma elicits various reactions within the brain that affect the entire body. What is currently known is that exposure to trauma leads to a cascade of biological changes.rnrnWhen we experience traumatic stress, it increases our chances for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune conditions, increased risk for addictive behaviors, increased risk to encounter interpersonal violence, sadness, guilt, negative perceptions, pain, sensitivity and impaired relationships in low trust.rnrnAll of these are in part because of those biological processes that are associated with the stress response. We’ve experienced trauma that puts us at risk for various things. And we have to take steps to take care of ourselves accordingly.rnrnSo let’s talk about what we can do.rnrnJust as our biological responses can perpetuate the stress response and affect our health over the long term. We can use physical activity to help us reset our systems and disrupt that pattern. Breathing exercises are really basic but a really effective intervention. Yoga is a nice combo of that exercise piece, along with meditation and mindfulness. Breathing exercises are one of the most fundamental ways we can reset our systems, where we can trigger that parasympathetic response over the sympathetic response.rnrnEven just taking time to slow down and reset over an extended period of time, our body takes 24 to 48 hours to reset naturally in a stable and safe environment after a traumatic event. Most of us don’t live in a stable and safe environment that allows us to do that very easily. We have to go to work, we have to go and do a whole bunch of things. We may not always reset easily. So taking time, setting it aside and slowing down can help.rnrnI’m going to end this lesson with a quote from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, who is a premiere authority on trauma and trauma care. “The challenge of recovery is to reestablish ownership of your body and your mind, of yourself. This means feeling free to know what you know and to feel what you feel without becoming overwhelmed, enraged, ashamed or collapse.”rnrnThe more we know about how our body works and reacts to stress, the more we know about how to take care of ourselves as we continue to process our trauma.rnrnu003cstrongu003eIn the next lesson we will focus on u003ca href=u0022https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/resources/videos/self-regulation/u0022u003eself regulationu003c/au003e.u003c/strongu003ernrnThank you for choosing The Recovery Village. If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or substance abuse and would like to find out more about the programs we offer, please reach out to us directly at u003ca href=u0022tel:855-387-3291u0022u003e855-387-3291u003c/au003e.