Trauma negatively impacts the life of the person who lived through a traumatic event or witnessed it, even if there were no physical injuries and no one close to them was harmed. When you are exposed to something disturbing – for a long time, in particular – your emotional health and your brain change in ways that are not always evident within the first few weeks, but you will notice the effects of the trauma later on. In this article, we will explain how trauma affects the brain, explore the long-term impacts of trauma on the brain, and look into ways to repair your brain after you were exposed to something traumatic.
What Does Trauma Do to the Brain?
Trauma can considerably lower your ability to form memories, learn, and manage your emotions – for example, a person with untreated post-traumatic stress disorder will have difficulties with keeping calm in stressed situations and respond to a conflict or dispute with aggression and violence.
It is often difficult to evaluate the damage to the brain right away either because the person is not aware of the emotional pain that builds up or because the individual is neglected by their parents when they are young – negative consequences may not manifest until the trauma survivor has grown up, and even then the connection between mental health and brain health is often overlooked.
How Does Trauma Affect the Brain?
Effects of Trauma on the Amygdala
The amygdala is the name of the brain area that is linked to emotional processes. When a person goes through a traumatic event, the structure of the amygdala is affected – studies have proven that the shape and size of this area can change for a significant amount of time. This may cause intense anxiety, depression, panic disorder, cognitive decline, and enhanced fear perception.
Effects of Trauma on the Hippocampus
The hippocampus is responsible for the person’s ability to learn and memorize information. When trauma affects the brain of an individual, they may have issues with transforming short-term memory into long-term memory as well as have high cortisol levels due to the damage to their hippocampus – the latter consequence results in increased fear, constant stress, and hypervigilance.
Effects of Trauma on the Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex controls the impulses and behavior of the individual, manages their emotions and objectives, and helps the person to focus on a task and plan better for the future. When you are exposed to traumatic circumstances for too long, or you cannot help but react with fear to events outside of your control, your prefrontal cortex will no longer function effectively. This will reduce your chances to react appropriately when there is a dangerous situation to get away from as well as ruin your opportunity to make the right choice when you or others are in trouble.
Can Emotional Trauma Cause Brain Damage?
While trauma responses vary from individual to individual, trauma impacts the brain – three parts of the brain described above in particular. Studies have shown that there will be increased activity in the amygdala of a person with acute stress disorder, a decrease in the size of the hippocampus of an individual who survived a car accident, and a major dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex.
Does Childhood Trauma Cause Brain Damage?
Unfortunately, numerous challenges a young person has to overcome may negatively impact them for the rest of their life. If you were raised in a toxic household or were a victim of bullying at school, there will be issues that you might not register until you are an adult:
- When you are stressed out, your hormone levels change – adrenaline and cortisol will affect the development of the brain modifying the brain function and causing various mental and physical complications.
- A child who goes through a traumatic event will have cognitive issues – stress hormones will lessen the connections in the area of the brain responsible for thinking, reasoning, and learning so the person will struggle with studying for many years.
- If your emotions and actions are changed by trauma and you are constantly replaying the events of the past in your mind thinking about what you could have done differently and even blaming yourself for the pain you have suffered, it is likely you will try to cope with the memories by drinking or using drugs – childhood trauma is a risk factor for substance abuse.
Trauma Vs. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Key Differences
Trauma is often confused with a physical injury to the brain – a traumatic brain injury, however, is only caused by an outside force such as a violent blow to the head. For instance, an individual may be injured in a car accident and have a concussion which requires immediate medical intervention since it will affect the way the person concentrates, retains information, manages their mood, and sleeps.
Naturally, trauma and traumatic brain injury vary widely – the former refers to the emotional distress someone is going through after witnessing something horrific or surviving a life-threatening accident. You may have trauma without a single scratch on your body, while a traumatic brain injury implies the presence of a major injury that puts the person’s health and life in danger.
Healing the Brain After Trauma
Although trauma affects the brain rather severely, there are ways to recover as long as the person is willing to make an effort and dedicate time to their emotional and cognitive health. Here are some tips on how you can heal your brain after trauma:
- Undergo Therapy to Rewire the Brain
A mental health professional will tell you what therapy modality is going to be the most beneficial in your case. Most patients show significant progress after cognitive restructuring – this type of therapy will help the individual identify and challenge negative thought patterns that prevent them from positive thinking and overall recovery.
- Utilize Neuroplasticity
Trauma recovery can be facilitated by various neuroplasticity exercises and practices many of which do not require you to have special training. You can enhance your cognitive abilities and strengthen your brain by resting more, exploring new opportunities, being more creative, and learning languages.
- Change Your Lifestyle to Support Brain Health
When you make a decision to improve your lifestyle, your physical well-being will affect your cognitive wellness. Focusing on proper nutrition, exercising regularly, sleeping a recommended amount of hours per night, and practicing mindfulness through yoga and meditation will keep your brain healthy.
- Address Emotional Trauma Holistically
Trauma-informed care offered by experienced therapists and psychiatrists relies on holistic healing – it is important to address not only the emotional wellness of the individual but understand what changes can be made to boost their physical health. Talk to a counselor about the incorporation of your body, mind, and spirit in the process of healing.
Understanding Trauma’s Impact: A Path to Recovery
Whether you have been forced to deal with the psychological harm of the trauma or an emotionally traumatic brain injury, healing is possible. You have to be consistent and patient, give yourself enough time to recover, and rely on professional mental health care to help you get back on your feet. A therapist or psychiatrist qualified to deal with mental health issues and cognitive problems like yours will support you as you go back to normal life.
Trauma and Brain Health FAQs
- Is there a connection between emotional trauma and brain damage?
Brain damage caused by trauma can be irreversible if the individual fails to address it – they may no longer function the way they used to. Their memory function will suffer, they will not be able to retain new information they learn, they will deal with intense emotions they cannot control, and their decision-making will be skewed.
- Trauma brain vs. normal brain: what is the difference?
Research has shown a substantial difference between the brain of a person whose life has not been characterized by major disturbing events and the brain of an individual who went through abuse or assault – there are abnormalities in the memory center of the brain, reduced activity of the amygdala, and heightened activity of the prefrontal cortex which lead to emotional dysregulation, sleep disturbances, and cognitive decline.
- What can I do on my own to deal with trauma?
If you believe in your own abilities to resolve psychological trauma, you should practice self-care – devote enough time on a daily basis to various self-soothing practices that will keep you calm, change your negative perception of yourself, and prevent mood swings that damage your relationships with others. Do not isolate yourself from society, listen to your body and exercise, avoid alcohol and drugs, and come up with a daily routine that keeps you motivated and inspired.
- Do I have to be in therapy to cope with emotional trauma?
It is up to you to decide whether you talk to a counselor about the traumatic events of the past that continue to haunt you to this day. Still, attending a couple of therapy sessions can be a good idea – if your attempts to deal with the long-term impact of trauma on your own failed, listen to the advice of a therapist on how to manage your symptoms and recover to lead a fulfilling life.
- What will happen to my brain if I do not resolve my trauma?
Although it is difficult to overcome trauma in many cases, and some people only manage to handle their symptoms with regular therapy and prescription medication, it is still better than disregarding the problem. Best-case scenario – you will have an occasional anxiety attack whose nature you cannot explain; worst-case scenario – you develop a mental health condition triggered by the trauma, which will require medical intervention and hospitalization.
