[LAUIL601] Secondary Research: Trauma and How it Affects the Brain

Source for notes: https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/analysis/2017/12/04/how-trauma-affects-the-brain-doctors-notes.html

• Trauma can have a profound impact on every area of a person's life.

• People report feeling trapped and helpless during trauma and can feel overwhelmed and unable to cope.

• There are four main areas of the brain that are affected by trauma: the hippocampus, the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the brain stem.

• When we feel threatened, the brain signals the body the release stress hormones including cortisol and adrenalin

• Cortisol has been shown to damage sells in a part of the brain called the hippocampus that is responsible for integrating memory.

• People who suffer from chronic trauma can have a smaller hippocampus which may contribute to difficulties in learning and memory. 

• We can forge new connections between braincells promoting change and growth, building and strengthening healthy neural pathways with different experiences after a trauma.

• The amygdala is responsible for emotional memory and is important in detecting emotions such as fear.

• In response to trauma, adrenalin - a stress hormone - gets released, putting the amygdala into overdrive.

• The prefrontal cortex is located at the front of the brain. It helps us to think, plan and solve problems but can go "offline" when experiencing and reliving trauma.

• The amygdala can light up, so the fear centre is ever-present

• It is exhausting to live in a state of fear, trauma and disconnection. 

• Treatment for trauma ideally involves a holistic treatment plan that focuses on a person's entire being, including their thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. In terms f the brain, it is important to learn about skills to help get the prefrontal cortex back online as well as approaches to soothe an overactive amygdala. May of the effects of trauma are held in the body, and often survivors disconnect form their bodies as a way of distancing themselves from emotional pain and body sensations that can be triggering.