Psychology

"We need more psychology, we need more understanding of human nature." - Carl Jung

Dr. Tracey Marks: Why You Can't Just 'Get Over' Trauma: The Science Behind Healing

Dr. Tracey Marks

"When we talk about trauma, we're not just talking about the event itself, but the lingering impact it has on your brain and body. To understand why trauma is so hard to get over, we need to understand what happens to your brain and body.

Trauma is a complex psychological and physiological response to experiences that overwhelm a person's capacity to cope. It's often associated with a single life threatening event like accidents or assults.

• But trauma can also result from prolonged exposure to chronic stressors such as
• abuse
• neglect
• or systemic oppression.
• Psychologicaly, trauma occurs when an event or series of events profoundly impacts a person's sense of
• safety
• identity
• and world view.
• It's important to note that trauma is subjective, what's traumatic for one person may not be for another depending on factors like
• personal history
• support systems
• and neurological resiliance.

When you experience trauma, several key areas of your brain are impacted.

• The Amygdala, often referred to as the brain's fear center, becomes hyperactive.
  • This heightened state of alertness is why trauma survivors often feel anxious or on edge even when there's no immediate danger.
  • The Amygdala remains in a constant state of vigilance scanning for potential threats and making it hard to relax or feel safe. (2:15)
• Your Hippocampus, which is central to forming and retrieving memories
• can actually shrink in response to trauma
• and the structural change affects how memories are restored and recalled, which is why people with trauma often experience fragmented or distorted memories of the event.
• Then there's the Preforontal Cortex which is normally responsible for rational thinking, decision making and impulse control.
• Trauma survivors have reduced activity in the Prefrontal Cortex making it difficult to make regulate emotions, concentrate or make decisions, especially in stressful situations.

The concept of Neuroplasticity offers hope. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to form new neural connections. So the ability to change the brain can go both ways. Trauma can create maladaptive pathways and shrink brain regions, but there are several treatment approaches that can allow for healing the brain from trauma through Adaptive Rewiring.

Evidenced Base Therapies for Trauma:

Embodiment. In order to manage your emotional and physical stress response, you need to get good being able to tune-in to your body's sensations and reactions. Mind-body practices like mindfulness, [excersize] yoga, and breath work also help cultivate a sense of embodiment.

• Mindfulness
  • involves staying present with your experiences without judgement.
  • For trauma survivors, mindfulness helps reduce anxiety and improve emotional reguation by training the brain to remain anchored in the present rather than getting swept away with tramatic memories or worries.
• Excersize/Yoga has also been shown to help release tension stored in the body and promote relaxation.
• Breath Work techniques like deep breathing or dyaphromatic breathing can help calm the anonomic nervous system, reducing the bodies fight or flight response and promoting a state of rest and healing.

Healing from trauma is rarely a linear process. There will be good days and bad days. And you need to treat yourself with kindness rather than judgement. Self-compassion involves recognizing that suffering is a part of the human experience and that you have to treat yourself with the same care that you would offer a loved one. Research shows that self-compassion can reduce the negative effects of trauma by promoting emotional resilience and reducing feelings of shame or self blame.

Simple practices like:

can be forms of self care and support healing.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Book: Healing Steps by Sharyn Higdon Jones, MA LMFT

"We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it to the full."

"That I feed the hungry, forgive an insult, and love my enemy -- these are great virtues! But what if I should discover that the poorest of the beggars and the most prudent of offenders are all within me, and that I stand in need of the alms of my own kindness; that I myself am the enemy who must be loved? What then?" - Carl Jung

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Book: Invitation to Psychology by Carole Wade and Carol Tavris

p.358 - Schizophrenia - where the personality loses its unity. A form of psychosis and often includes distorted perception of reality.

p. 359 - 2 Categories: Positive (additions to behavior or thinking), and Negative (absence of behavior or thinking).

4 Symptoms: 1. Bizarre Delusions, 2. Hallucinations, 3. Disorganized incoherent speech, 4. Grossly Disorganized or Inapporpriate Behavior

Theories of Causes: 1. Genetic Predispositions, 2. Structural Brain Abnormalities, 3. Neurotransmitter Abnormalities, 4. Prenatal Abnormalities

Mental Disorder: violation of cultural standards, behavior that is maladaptive for the individual or society, and the emotional suffering caused by the behavior.

p. 365 - Personality Disorders - characterized by rigid, self-destructive traits that cause distress or an inability to get along with others. They include

Anxiety Disorders - Generalized anxiety disorder, Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Mood Disorders - major depression symptoms are low self-esteem, fatigue, loss of appetite, prolonged grief and despair.

Bipolar Disorder - symptoms of episodes of depression and mania (excessive euphoria).

site under construction