After Trauma: Overview of Body & Mind

What happens to us after we encounter a trauma? A common response I hear often is “ I feel like I am going crazy” or “ I feel out of control.” Let’s first start with what trauma is:            
 
Trauma is defined as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence in one or more of four ways: (a) directly experiencing the event; (b) witnessing, in person, the event occurring to others; (c) learning that such an event happened to a close family member or friend; and (d) experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of such events, such as with first responders.
            -The Professional Counselor
 
Now let us take a look at how trauma can influence the brain and the body:
 
Our brains have been primed to receive threat: We are more tuned into our surroundings even if we aren’t cognizant of this. In times of high stress, out brain becomes hyper responsive to stimuli and any perceived threat. This also means an increase in an adrenaline stress hormone called “cortisol.” We associate cortisol with the fight or flight reaction, but also with chronic stress. So what happens when we are running on these chemicals that were only meant to be released for short periods of time? Increased risk for chronic illnesses, gut issues, lowered immune system, and memory issues to name a few.
 
We have difficulties regulating the smoke alarm: There is a part of our brain called the “amygdala” which essentially acts as the smoke alarm of the brain. In those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, this “smoke alarm” goes on overdrive and isn’t able to distinguish actual threat verses perceived threat ( seeing and hearing a car backfire and not being able to distinguish it from gunshots, leading the body to have a trauma survival response in response to the noise). This can be so powerful that our survival brain can perform a system override and cut off communication to the prefrontal cortex- the part of our brain responsible for through decision making and the part of the brain that is able to communicate to the amygdala that the danger is not real.
 
 Mood swings: Trauma affects our moods and ability to regulate our emotions for a number of reasons: sleep, the quality of our sleep, experiencing high anxiety, experiencing new emotions, feeling out of control, feeling numb, feeling angry at others/yourself, and not knowing if what you are feeling is okay or normal. That’s a lot. Even just one of these is enough to have a strong effect on our mood- if we are not sleep well due to nightmares or waking up with anxiety throughout the night, we will not be able to think clearly or make well informed thoughts and decisions. If we are constantly feeling a wide range of confusing emotions, it becomes difficult to trust our own judgement, which turns into self-resentment and negative self talk, which then means we feel badly about ourselves and are less likely to practice self-care. Less self-care would mean less capacity to feel good, the less we feel good about ourselves, the more we feel the need to criticize ourselves and others; the cycle can become all consuming.
 
Typical responses post-trauma:
 
Hyper-arousal: being on edge-sounds may suddenly be too much, light may be too bright. Going to the grocery store whereas easy before could now be extremely overstimulating and overwhelming.
Avoidance: Avoiding triggers such as reminders of the trauma which can be people, places, foods, anything that may put you back into re-experiencing the trauma.
Withdrawal/Depression: It may feel like you are alone, ashamed, no one understands, or perhaps you are concerned you may upset another person with your experience. Another factor is processing trauma is exhausting and you may not have the energy to go out with friends or return a text. Withdrawal and isolation are common following a traumatic event.
 
 
Tips for dealing with your trauma:
1.Get moving! Exercise is a phenomenal way to help expel all that that built up cortisol in your system, plus it produces endorphins which is the body’s natural feel good chemical.
2.Speak to a professional. Your family and friends will want to help because they love you. Because they love you means they will have their own emotions that can cloud giving objective observations; additionally it is best to have a completely safe non-judgmental place where you can explore all of your experiences. We also have the education and training to help you make scientific sense of your experience.
3.Don’t deny the power of your experience. It may be tempting to say “ it’s done, I don’t ever need to talk about it again! I’m fine now!” Processing trauma takes time, a lot of talking and reintegrating the experience in a healthier way. It has a habit of showing up in different ways if not dealt with.
4.Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness practices such as meditation, body awareness & breath work can help rewire the brain to make healthier connections and help calm the over stimulated amygdala.
5.Prepare for some tough days ahead of time & have a plan. Some days will just be more difficult and it will be helpful to have a plan. Think of it like emotional meal prep! Have a list of coping skills such as trusted people you can reach out and talk to, activities you enjoy and find soothing (hiking, journaling, coloring, meditating), and anything else that is healthy you can think of. You can ask you therapist for help with coping skills ideas.