People who have trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder may suffer from it for a limited or unlimited period of their lives. They could also experience increased stress or fear in certain situations. When it becomes frequent many people would fear that their trauma is damaging them especially their brain. According to studies, PTSD and trauma could affect different functions of the brain in different ways. However, three areas of the brain can be affected the most which are the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. These areas are responsible for reacting to fear and balancing emotions in our bodies. Let’s see in this article how trauma can affect your brain.
1- THE AMYGDALA
The amygdala is responsible for memory, emotions and survival instincts. Its main role is to detect fear and to identify and collect information from around us to define threats. It recruits our senses to respond to perceived threats by the feeling of fear. The whole process happens unconsciously in the brain. Furthermore, the amygdala of people affected by PTSD is usually hyperactive. On the other hand, suffering from emotional trauma means an increased fear of any traumatic stressors. Usually, hyperactivity of the amygdala happens when the stressors are somehow linked to the reason for the trauma. This could lead to increased irritation, chronic stress, and heightened fear, as well as make it harder to calm down or fall asleep.
2- THE HIPPOCAMPUS
The hippocampus is mainly responsible for the storage and collection of memories and helping you differentiate between past and present memories. When you experience trauma, your hippocampus’s size could be affected. According to studies, a hippocampus that experienced trauma is usually smaller than one that did not. Your hippocampus could make it harder for you to remember memories, while others could become very vivid and continually on your mind. Furthermore, being in an environment that reminds you of your trauma, can cause stress, fear, and panic. This is caused by the fact that victims are not able to differentiate between their present and their past memories, activating the fight-or-flight response when a threat is perceived.
3- THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX
This part of the brain regulates emotions. It is considered one of the parts that get affected by traumas. Usually, when the amygdala senses a negative emotion, the prefrontal cortex will react to it rationally. However, after a trauma, your rationality could be dominated, making it hard for your prefrontal cortex to regulate your emotions.
In a conclusion, the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex are the three parts of the brain that will be affected the most by trauma. They will make you, as a trauma survivor, living in constant fear when you come close to something triggering of the past events and traumas. You must keep in your mind that the process of overcoming emotional trauma can be a long one, however, it is possible to do so. It is also important that you see a doctor who can help you get over your trauma faster and better.
