How Trauma Changes the Brain and What You Can Do About It

Trauma is a deeply upsetting experience that can impact both mental and physical health for a long time. While many people associate trauma with emotional struggles, it also extends to the brain, altering how we think, feel, and respond to stress.
This impact can contribute to anxiety, depression, memory problems, and difficulty regulating emotions. Understanding how trauma affects the brain can help people heal and navigate challenges more effectively.
What Happens in the Brain During Trauma?
When a person experiences trauma, the brain’s survival mechanisms activate immediately. The fight, flight, or freeze response is triggered, leading to neurological and hormonal reactions.
Three key brain areas are primarily involved in this process:
- Amygdala (Fear Center): The amygdala is responsible for detecting threats and triggering fear responses. Trauma causes hyperactivity in the amygdala, leading to heightened fear and anxiety, even in safe environments.
- Hippocampus (Memory and Learning): The hippocampus helps with processing and storing memories. Trauma can shrink the hippocampus, making it difficult to distinguish past threats from present safety, which is a common feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Prefrontal Cortex (Decision-Making and Emotion Regulation): The prefrontal cortex helps regulate emotions and make rational decisions. Trauma can suppress its function, leading to impulsivity, difficulty concentrating, and trouble controlling emotions.
Common Symptoms of Trauma-Related Brain Changes
The effects of trauma can show in a variety of ways.
Common symptoms include:
- Emotional Symptoms: Anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, or frequent mood swings.
- Cognitive Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, memory issues, and trouble making decisions.
- Physical Symptoms: Chronic pain, headaches, sleep disturbances, and fatigue.
These symptoms can vary from person to person and may come and go depending on stress levels and triggers.
How to Heal from Trauma
Although trauma can alter the brain, healing is possible. The brain has neuroplasticity, meaning it can rewire and form new connections with the right support and interventions. Here are some ways to help the brain recover from trauma:
- Therapy and Counseling: Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have been shown to help reprocess traumatic memories and reduce PTSD symptoms.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Practices like meditation and deep breathing can lower stress hormones, strengthen the prefrontal cortex, and help regulate emotions.
- Exercise and Healthy Habits: Physical activity, eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, supporting your immune system, taking supplements, and getting enough sleep also contribute to brain recovery.
- Social Support: Connecting with friends, family, or support groups can reduce feelings of isolation and improve mental well-being. Studies show that social bonds can help regulate stress responses and promote resilience.
Supporting Yourself or Someone Else Through Trauma
Whether you’re helping yourself or supporting someone else, here are some simple but effective ways to approach recovery:
1. Be Patient and Compassionate: Healing is a journey, and it’s okay to take things one step at a time. If you're supporting someone else, offering patience and understanding can go a long way.
2. Check In Regularly: Trauma can often lead to feelings of isolation. If you know someone who’s struggling, reach out and check in, even if they don’t always respond. Just knowing someone is thinking of them can provide comfort.
3. Encourage Small Acts of Self-Care: Self-care can be a powerful tool in the healing process. Even small moments of peace and wellness can help the brain recover and find balance.
4. Acknowledge the Strength in Healing: Recognizing the strength it takes to heal from trauma is key. Every step forward, no matter how small, is a sign of growth. If you're supporting someone, remind them of their strength and resilience.
Trauma has a profound impact on the brain, affecting memory, emotions, and decision-making. However, these changes are not permanent. With therapy, mindfulness, healthy lifestyle choices, and social support, the brain can heal, and individuals can regain a sense of stability and control.
If you or someone you know is struggling with trauma-related symptoms, seeking help from a healthcare professional is an important step toward recovery.
References:
- Amygdala Activity, Fear, and Anxiety: Modulation by Stress. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2882379/
- Childhood Trauma Associated With Smaller Hippocampal Volume in Women With Major Depression. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3230324/#:~:text=Patients%20with%20posttraumatic%20stress%20disorder,volumes%20(27%2C%2028).
- Neurobiology of Trauma. https://www.unco.edu/assault-survivors-advocacy-program/learn_more/neurobiology_of_trauma.aspx#:~:text=When%20a%20person%20is%20experiencing,such%20as%20calling%20for%20help.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy versus Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing in Patients with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6217870/
- What are the benefits of mindfulness. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner
- Social Support and Resilience to Stress. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2921311/#:~:text=Overall%2C%20it%20appears%20that%20positive,reduce%20medical%20morbidity%20and%20mortality.
- Exercise, Nutrition and the Brain. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4008828/
- Understanding the Impacts of Trauma. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/#:~:text=Initial%20reactions%20to%20trauma%20can,effective%2C%20and%20self%2Dlimited.