PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA IS NOT JUST AN EVENT!

A BOOK IN BRIEF

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According to experts one does not have to be a combat soldier, or visit a refugee camp to encounter trauma. Research reports indicate the following:

• One in five people are sexually molested as a child - three million/year
• One in four children are beaten by a parent
• One in three couples engages in physical violence
• A quarter of people grow up with alcoholic relatives
• One in eight witness their mother being beaten
• 29.2% of the total risk of depression at age of eighteen could be explained by bullying during adolescence
• Etc.

All of the above are traumas and leave traces but we act as if nothing happened and move on. We try to leave trauma behind but our bodies keep us trapped in the past with wordless emotions and feelings. The resulting derailment have a profound impact on the capacity for love and work. Trauma makes it difficult to have intimate relationship and one cannot even trust oneself. It takes tremendous energy to keep functioning while carrying the memory of terror, and the shame of utter weakness and vulnerability.

The Impacts of Trauma

Trauma changes perceptions, imagination and the capacity to think. The body has to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of present. Brain has physiological basis and is not very good at denial. Long after trauma, it may be reactivated at the slightest hint of danger and mobilize disturbed brain circuits and secrete massive amount of stress hormones. According to scanner the physiological and other changes in the brain are as follows:

• After trauma the whole world is experienced with a different nervous system
• The limbic or emotional brain through its Amygdala or smoke detector warns us of impending danger to activate body's stress response.  Activation of this fear center triggers the cascade of stress hormone and nerve impulses that drive up blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen intake preparing the body for fight or flight
• The visual cortex that registers images becomes very active
• There will be a decrease of activity in the left frontal lobe of the cortex in Broco's area or the speech center and the victim cannot put their thoughts into words - the same as the effects in stroke patients
• Mirror neurons which explain empathy, imitation, synchrony and development of language are affected and trauma almost invariably involves not being seen, not being mirrored, and not being taken into account. 

The Aspects of Treatment

• Being able to feel safe with other people is the most important aspect of mental health of trauma victims
• Social support is the most powerful protection which means being heard and seen by others
• Treatment should reactivate the capacity to safely mirror and be mirrored by others and resist being hijacked by negative emotions
• Many of the victims are either hyper-vigilant or numb. In order to feel emotionally close to another human being, their defensive system must temporarily shut down. They cannot discern when they are actually safe. They should have experiences that can restore the sense of physical safety
• The memory of trauma is encoded in the body and body keeps the score

People with extreme trauma disconnect from their body and have no self-sensing. Trauma can shut down the inner compass and the imagination they need. There is an inner cry from the body and they are not able to discern what they feel and how to take care of themselves/Alexithymia. They crave touch while terrified of body contact. The body needs to be re-educated. If they are not taken care of it can lead to depersonalization.

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Reference: Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE 

                  Penguin Group, 2014

I personally recommend this book to every parent and anyone concerned about well-being of children and others. The book helps us understand how people deal with, survive, and heal from traumatic experiences. It is not as easy as you may think!