Introduction to Trauma

There are many different forms of trauma and many different ways that trauma can impact us. It can be scary to not know why we are feeling the way we are. So, this section will explain what trauma is and how it shows up and impacts all of our systems.

Some forms of trauma may be:

• Direct or indirect harm;
• Being threatened with harm, especially over a period of time;
• Witnessing harm being done to or by others;
• Intentional or accidental harm by others;
• Learning that a traumatic event occurred to a close family member or close friend; or
• Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of a traumatic event.

Trauma is an experience that causes physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or social harm, including lack of sleep, depression, anxiety, loss of appetite, nightmares, heightened sensories (always feeling like you’re on alert), a strain on friendships and relationships, a feeling of disconnection to yourself or beliefs, and more.

Trauma can impact your:

• Behavior (feeling numb, distant, overwhelmed, anxious, etc)
• Memory
• Cognitive Abilities (having difficulty focusing, completing tasks, etc.)
• Physical Health (stomach pain, gastrointestinal issues, headaches)

Trauma also has an impact on your brain. When a traumatic experience occurs, these areas of the brain are impacted:

• Prefrontal Cortex – The “Director” that provides executive functions, i.e. focuses attention based on goals and tasks for a situation, engages in logical reasoning and thinking through how to handle things with steps, monitors our own behavior, inhibits impulses, and controls emotions. “Topdown” thinking.
• Amygdala – The “smoke detector” that is always on, and monitors for signs in the environment of danger. The amygdala controls the fear circuitry in the brain.
• Hippocampus – The “hard drive” where the brain consolidates encoded memories into long term storage.
• Thalamus – The “sensory area” that translates sights, sounds, tastes, and smells into the language of the brain.

So what happens:

• The fear circuitry from the amygdala takes control due to a flood of stress hormones meaning the “smoke detector” can remain on high alert even after the safety threat is gone.
• A loss of prefrontal regulation changes attention and focus to “bottom-up.” This can make it extremely difficult to focus, think logically and can impact your behavior.
• For example, your brain may shift into survival reflexes and engage in self-protection habits even if they are potentially harmful or detrimental to yourself or others.
• Trauma can also cause altered memory encoding meaning your memory of a traumatic event may be fuzzy, not in chronological order while some memories may be extremely vivid - especially those connected to senses (for example, you may be able to remember the smells or sounds clearly while drawing a blank on time, faces, etc.).