How Trauma Affects the Brain and Body

This past year has been tumultuous in more ways than one. We’ve come face to face with a pandemic that has revealed so much about the social and political aspects of our country. A new found understanding of America’s social classes has shone a light onto race relations, the impact of climate change, the importance of politics and political revolutions, and most pertinent, the healthcare disparity. With the onset of Covid-19, healthcare has been the number one concern for much of the country. The outbreak of a highly transmissible and deadly virus, and the sudden shift from an interactive to an isolated social space, has caused much  psychological distress for many people. For more than a year now, the fear of a virus impossible to see, yet extremely widespread has permeated the country as a whole. The traumatic impact of long-term fear and stress has led to many conversations about the link between mental and physical health. While it is easy to perceive psychological issues as being separate from physical issues, the reality is that both are linked. Coping with trauma and its physical symptoms means taking a look at the neurobiology involved in stressful events. 

Traumatic is a word that is often used to describe a situation that causes stress, which when prolonged, can be detrimental to mental as well as physical health (McAllister, 2010). Trauma causes emotions that can be overbearing for an individual to cope with, resulting in a mental duress that can be much for the conscious mind to handle. This can result in psychological as well as physiological damage. 

There are three main types of trauma: acute, chronic, and complex. Acute trauma occurs from a single stressful or dangerous event. An example of this would be long-term effects due to a severe car accident that leaves an individual shaken. Chronic trauma occurs from extended and repeated exposure to highly stressful events and can have a cumulative effect. Domestic abuse and child abuse would come under this category. Complex trauma usually starts early in life and can impair a child’s ability to form secure bonds with other people as well as their development. Events that contribute to complex trauma are often extremely personal and invasive in nature. 

When looking at the areas of the brain involved in processing trauma and the stressors involved, there are three main portions: the amygdala, hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. Responsible for the ability to perceive certain emotions, the hippocampus is  sensitive to stimuli and has an easily changeable structure. The amygdala is largely responsible for the fight-or-flight response as well as learning and the development of memory. The prefrontal cortex is involved with higher cognition, planning, personality, social behaviors as well as goal setting ability. Each of these areas are profoundly impacted by trauma and can lead to changes in cognitive and social abilities (Bremner, 2006). Damage to these areas of the brain through prolonged trauma can also manifest as physical symptoms. 

The hippocampus in individuals who have faced trauma can present as smaller than normal. This affects the ability to recall memories, leading to confusion. The prefrontal cortex, which is vital to emotional regulation, is often damaged by trauma, and can lead to impacted decision making and a higher affinity for substance abuse, as judgment is also impaired. Those with trauma often have a hyperactive amygdala as well, meaning that over time,  fewer stressors are needed to trigger fear responses (Horesh and Brown, 2020). These effects are caused by external traumatic events which aren’t processed by the brain. Brain chemistry is altered by extreme fear and the traumatic event(s) and the brain begins to act in alignment with the “Fear Circuitry” - a protective mechanism of the brain. While this mechanism exists to protect us from emotionally stressful events, it can also cause damage when used in the long run (Stein 2020). 

There are physiological effects due to trauma.  Examining the neurobiology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can reveal some of the ways this can happen. Individuals affected by PTSD experience decreased serotonin levels due to hypervigilance and increased aggression. PTSD can also heighten levels of norepinephrine, which has adverse effects on blood pressure, and can also lead to panic attacks. One of the most pervasive issues with physiological stress response is the increased cortisol and norepinephrine response. Cortisol is the stress hormone, and while it can be beneficial during truly stressful and dangerous situations, when present in large amounts for long periods of time, cortisol can cause inflammation, leading to pain in many areas of the body. Many people who deal with mental health disorders and trauma disorders often feel random and/or prolonged pain with no identified cause. In many of these cases, there isn’t a physiological root to the issue, but instead a psychological one. 

The impact of Covid-19 on mental health has been difficult to cope with for many people. Medical professionals and first responders report symptoms of PTSD. Loneliness and depression have increased across the nation, and stress and hopelessness have been emotions felt by many for an entire year. A nation that struggled to come up with a unified medical and political response to the deadly virus, clearly was not prepared to cope with the psychological effects of the pandemic. 

Gaining an understanding of the causes and effects of trauma is important, as it can profoundly impact an individual’s life and diminish resilience to life stressors. Being aware of one’s own emotions and reactions to events is vital to gaining a deeper understanding of oneself, as well as to create a framework for coping with stress. While trauma can be difficult to deal with, there are many ways to emotionally regulate and engage in practices that can help keep us grounded and present. Seeking professional help is one of many ways to do so and should be seen as a practical and useful tool. Meditating, creating a routine filled with hobbies, and taking care of physical health are all ways to supplement the process of actively dismantling responses to trauma. Our brains are entirely moldable and able to be rewired. The impacts of the external world can be handled by active internal processes. Understanding the way our brains react to stressful situations is a great way to prepare for stressful events we may face.

References: 

Bremner J. D. (2006). Traumatic stress: effects on the brain. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 8(4), 445–461. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/jbremner

Horesh, D., & Brown, A. D. (2020). Traumatic stress in the age of COVID-19: A call to close critical gaps and adapt to new realities. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, 

Practice, and Policy, 12(4), 331–335. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000592

McAllister, T. W., & Stein, M. B. (2010). Effects of psychological and biomechanical trauma on brain and behavior. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1208, 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05720.x