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What Does Trauma Do to The Brain?

Navigating the symptoms of chronic trauma are very real for those who suffer from it. The day-to-day feelings of "is this fear real, or is it just my past trauma?" or "why do I get so reactive to things others seem to navigate seamlessly?"

It can be incredibly frustrating for those who experience trauma because it's an invisible injury to those on the outside looking in.

Unlike a broken bone, you cannot see the physical effects of trauma. People want to see something tangible "something real" before taking it seriously.

This can be extremely isolating for those with trauma because they are left with having to prove to everyone, and even themselves, that what they are feeling is "real."

But we actually do have proof of trauma's impact on our bodies...

Research actually shows proven and observable injuries to people with chronic trauma; it just lived inside the brain and in the nervous system.

Did you know chronic trauma can visibly change your brain in ways that resemble a traumatic brain injury? That's one reason trauma can affect memory, concentration, emotional regulation, and decision-making along.

People who have chronic trauma may very well experience the same side effects as a person in a major car accident.

In fact, at one point, I was actually diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. I was forgetting things, losing the ability to focus, or process emotions. My relationships suffered because I was more reactive and sluggish.

It wasn't until I addressed my trauma that I was able to rewire my Neurological pathways and heal my brain.

The good news? The brain is remarkably adaptable. Through practices like DBT therapy, mindfulness, healthy relationships, and repeated experiences of safety, many of these brain changes can improve over time.

You can also learn more about how trauma impacts your body in one of my FAVE books, The Body Keeps Score. This book uses recent scientific research to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising people ability to have capacity for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust.

You are never alone. Never broken. You got this!

See you next week!

Kay

P.S. If you struggle trusting yourself and knowing the difference between your intuition and a past trauma or trigger, I created a 30-day guided workbook with evidence-based tools to help you stop second guessing yourself -HERE​