8/17/22, 1:17 PM Trauma and the Brain: Find Meaning in the Mess | Integrative Life Center https://integrativelifecenter.com/trauma-and-the-brain-find-meaning-in-the-mess/ 1/6 ��
8/17/22, 1:17 PM Trauma and the Brain: Find Meaning in the Mess | Integrative Life Center
https://integrativelifecenter.com/trauma-and-the-brain-find-meaning-in-the-mess/ 2/6 Ifsomeoneaskedyoutopictureasurvivor;whowoulditbe?Traumainthebrain isjustasseriousastraumatotherestofthebody.Itcanbecausedbyan accident,afall,anassault,oragunshotwoundtoyourhead.Traumatothebrain cancausenervedamageorimpairment,memoryloss,andotherproblems.Even ifyoudonotsu eranyvisibleinjuries,yourbrainmaystillhavebeeninjured.Pi andhisBengaltiger,RichardParker?Theyremainedneardeathandadriftatsea for227daysaftertheirshipwreck, shingtogetherto ghto starvation.Your next-doorneighbor?Shewasdiagnosedwithbreastcancerandgivenlessthana yeartolive.However,thatwastwoyearsago,andafterherdoublemastectomy, sheisnowintotalremission.Whataboutyourbestfriend’sdaughter?Shecame homefromcollegehalfwaythroughlastsemesterwithnoexplanation.She frequentlyhasrageepisodesandcansnapinaninstant.You’veseenithappen. Sherefusestoleaveherroomduringthedayandstaysoutallnight.Sheblows throughalltherulesherparentstrytoset.Sheevengotintoaphysicalscu e withherfatherlastweekwhenhetriedtotakethecarkeys.Yourbestfriend calledyouyesterdayhysterical,sayingherdaughtertoldherinarare,vulnerable momentthatshewassexuallyassaultedatcollegeandisnowusingheroin. Wouldyoucallherdaughterasurvivor?Wouldyoucallherdaughterasurvivorif shewasn’tusingdrugs?Wouldyoucallherdaughterajunkie?Ashifthappens thatcausescompassiontohardenintojudgement.Herdaughtersurviveda violentattackthatclaimsanaverageof3femalelivesperday ,butbecause drugsarenowapartofthestory,whydoesthatgiveuspause?Theundeniable stigmathataccompaniesaddictsautomaticallyreframesourfocusonthe substanceabuseastheproblem,andsexualassaultastheconsequence.“She wasusingheroin!Whatdidshethinkwouldhappen?”Whydoweautomatically assumedruguseprecedestraumaticevents?Evenifitdoesn’t,whydoesdrug usedenote“deserving”trauma,andnothelp?Traumaisinvisible,yetmessy.Itis unpredictable,andwidelylessunderstood.Itslithersbetweensynapses, paralyzingthefrontallobesofthebrain.Itholdsmemorieshostage.Fearcauses reactionsgofromrationaltoprimal.Suddenlythemindisnolongerasafeplace tobe.Thechaosbuildsuntilpeoplefeellikethereareonlytwochoices:1)Makeit stop2)Makeitstoppermanently.Yourbestfriendsayssheisdesperatetoget ��
https://integrativelifecenter.com/trauma-and-the-brain-find-meaning-in-the-mess/ 3/6 herdaughterhelp,butdoesn’tunderstandanyofthis?Howdidshegofrom honorroletoheroin?Anythingwedon’tunderstandisscary,andgettingangryis aloteasierthanadmittingourfear.Wecanbeafraid.Wecanbeangry.Wealso needtobeinformed.Trauma-Informed.
8/17/22, 1:17 PM Trauma and the Brain: Find Meaning in the Mess | Integrative Life Center
UnderstandingTraumaintheBrainand WhyThey’reNot“Junkies”
Drugsareeasiertoblamethantrauma.Drugsare
tangible.Ifyouhaven’tcomeacrossanyinperson,you’veprobablyseenyour favoritesitcomcharacterbattlethem,readanewsstorythatfeaturedthem,or attendedthefuneralofsomeonewhodiedfromthem,whetheryouknewitor not.Theyarepowerfulenoughtoberesponsibleforanepidemicandhavehada wardeclareduponthembyTheUnitedStatesofAmerica
ofcourseyoublame drugs.However,evenafterthesubstanceabuseiseitherconfessedor discovered,people,likeyourbestfriend,arestillleftwanting.Infaceof everythingpointingtodrugsastheproblem,familiesandfriendsoftheaddict
arestillplaguedwithonequestion: why? “Why didsheuseinthe rstplace?” Let’stakealookatthebrain.Haveyoueverburnedyourself?Haveyouever burnedyourselfsobadlythatyoumovedyourbodypartbeforethepainevenset in?Ourbody’snumberoneinstinctissurvival,andwearehardwiredtowardsit. Forexample,whenyourhandtouchedthatironyousworewaso ,yourbrain receivedtwomessages:1)danger2)pain.Again,withthegoalbeingsurvival, yourbrainisgoingtotellyourhandtomovebeforeitgivesyouareasonasto why.TheLimbicSystemisthepartofourbrainthatregulatesouremotionsand housesourmemories.Theamygdalaistoourbrainwhatanalarmsystemisto ourhouse.Itisonalert24/7,evenwhenwearesleeping.Ouramygdalaisalways processinginformationrelayedfromoursensestoourbrain.Itasksthe questions,“Isthisdangerous?”and“havewebeeninthissituationbefore?”The hippocampusisabletogivetheamygdalatheanswerstothosequestions becauseitisresponsibleformemoryfunction.Itaidsusindiscerningwhich memoriesarefromthepastandwhichonesarepresent.Thehippocampusalso usespresentexperiencestocreatenewmemoriesthatwillbestoredandone daybeusedtoanswertheamygdala’sconstantquestioning.Theamygdala’s distresssignalactivatesthesympatheticnervesystemandcausesthestress hormonesepinephrineandcortisoltobereleasedintothebloodstream..The ��
8/17/22, 1:17 PM Trauma and the Brain: Find Meaning in the Mess | Integrative Life Center https://integrativelifecenter.com/trauma-and-the-brain-find-meaning-in-the-mess/ 4/6 rstroundisepinephrine(adrenaline).Itcoursesthroughtheveinscausing physiologicalchanges.Westartbreathingfastersoourlungscantakeinmore oxygen.Theextraoxygeninourbrainheightensandsharpensoursenses,and signalsstorednutrientstobereleasedintoourbloodstream,supplyingextra energytoourbodies.Thisiswhatexplainsthesuddencapabilityofaparentto ipoveracartosavetheirchild.Ifdangerisstillperceived,cortisolisreleasedto keepthebodyonhighalert.Thecortisolhelpsusdecidewhethertakingonthe threatorrunningawayfromitisthebestchanceforoursurvival.Thisiscalled “ ght, ight,orfreeze”response.Whentheamygdalasendsdistress,thefrontal lobesofourbrainwakeuptoweighinontheconversation.Ourfrontallobesare responsibleforproblemsolving,judgement,impulsecontrol,andsocialbehavior tonameafew.It’sliketheamygdala,hippocampus,andstresshormonesare friendsjumpingintoacarforaspontaneousroadtrip,andthefrontallobesare theparentsaskingaboutgasmoneyandiftheyneedanoilchange.Anexample ofhowthissystemprocessesinformationusingthehotironexample.You’re doinglaundry,andbumpintoyourironingtable,causingtheirontofalltowards yourarm. The amygdala receives information from the senses about the iron falling. It asks the hippocampus, “ is this dangerous?” “have we been in this situation before?” The hippocampus retrieves archived memories of the last time your burned yourself.They contain physical pain, blisters, fear, and anger associated with the Theiron.message, “FLIGHT” is sent via stress hormones through your bloodstream. You jump out of the way as the steaming iron falls to the ground. The frontal lobes are left little to no time to weigh in. When the danger has passed the amygdala and hippocampus code new memory about how when they moved out of the way, the iron did not hurt this time. ��
are desperately
physically approaching quickly and aggressively. It asks the
this is her father. He has never caused physical harm, and she is not
be sexually assaulted. ��
8/17/22, 1:17 PM Trauma and the Brain: Find Meaning in the Mess | Integrative Life Center
The
https://integrativelifecenter.com/trauma-and-the-brain-find-meaning-in-the-mess/ 5/6 TheLimbicSystemrespondssorapidly,thatoftenthisprocessisalready underwaybeforethebrain’svisualcenterscanevenprocesswhatishappening. Thisexplainsthe“move rst,feeltheburnafter”response.
attempts to
TraumaResponse Thisisanincrediblye cientsystem.Yourbrainaccuratelypredictedpotential danger,andcausedyourbodytorespondaccordingly.Doesthebrainalways perceivepotentialdangeraccurately?ArewemorelikeSupermanorTheHulk? Thinkaboutit.Ifwerespondthatwaytoapotentialburn,howdowerespondina situationthatissimilartoalifethreateningonewepreviouslysurvived?An examplecouldbethephysicalscu eyourbestfriend’shusbandanddaughter gotintolastweekovercarkeys.Herdaughterwasinthekitchen,gettingreadyto takethecaroutlateatnightyetagain.Aftertheirrepeatedrequeststoknow whereshewasgoingandwhomshewasmeetingwithweremetwithsilence, theytoldhershewasnotallowedtoleaveorusethecar.Sherefusestoturnthe keysover,andmakesabeelineforthedoor.Herfatherhurriesafterherand grabsherarminanattempttostopher. amygdala about a male hippocampus, “ hippocampus male. message, “FIGHT” Whenbloodstream.herfather stop her, she pushes him with such force, frontal lobes trying that about to
is this dangerous?” “have we been in this situation before?” The
is sent via stress hormones released into her
retrieves archived memories of the last time she was approached quickly and aggressively by a
to communicate
They contain physical pain, terror, and danger The
receives information from the senses
he falls to the ground. The
8/17/22, 1:17 PM Trauma and the Brain: Find Meaning in the Mess | Integrative Life Center https://integrativelifecenter.com/trauma-and-the-brain-find-meaning-in-the-mess/ 6/6 They are drowned out because all the blood serving the emotional parts of the brain by carrying the cortisol. The amygdala and hippocampus code new memory about how when they fought back, she was not sexually assaulted. Dr.CharlesR.Figleyinhisbook, Trauma and Its Wake,de nestraumaas“an emotional state of discomfort and stress resulting from memories of an extraordinary, catastrophic experience which shattered the survivor’s sense of invulnerability to harm.” Inlayman’sterms:traumaisastateofbeing,aresponse ratherthanacause.Whenyourbestfriend’sdaughterwasassaulted,itcreateda “newnormal”inherbrain.Ourbrainsdon’trecordmemorieslikemovies.Theyare recordedas ashesandsensationsexperiencedbyoursenses.Soeventhough herfatherhadnointentionofsexuallyassaultinghisdaughter,becauseherbrain perceivedaggression,aman,hostility,unwelcomephysicaltouch;itwarranted her ghtreaction.Hermemoriesoftheassaultarenowatemplateusedto determineresponse. Category: Trauma July 10, 2017 NEXT Equine Therapy in Nashville ��