the Impact of Trauma on the Mind and Body

The Impact of Trauma on the Mind and Body

There are various pathways to trauma, and not everyone exposed to traumatic events will experience trauma. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)[1] are primary predictors of trauma, with a significant portion of the population having experienced such events.

Traumatic events, such as instances of family and social violence, sexual assaults, natural disasters, conflicts, accidents, and predatory acts, can expose individuals to extreme horror and threat, potentially altering their ability to cope and perceive danger, as well as their sense of self[2]. Individuals who experience trauma often develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where the traumatic memories dominate their thoughts, leading to a depletion of meaning and pleasure in life.[3]

Trauma doesn’t solely impact psychological well-being. For instance, a study involving nearly 10,000 patients in a medical setting revealed that individuals with histories of severe child maltreatment faced significantly heightened risks[4]. These risks included a 4 to 12 times greater likelihood of developing alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, and attempting suicide. Additionally, they faced 2 to 4 times higher risks of engaging in behaviors such as smoking, having more than 50 sexual partners, and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Furthermore, they had a 1.4 to 1.6 times greater risk of physical inactivity and obesity, as well as a 1.6 to 2.9 times higher risk of developing conditions like ischemic heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, skeletal fractures, hepatitis, stroke, diabetes, and liver disease.

Trauma occurs when individuals are unable to regulate their physiological arousal in response to a threat, leading to states of hyperarousal or dissociation. Peritraumatic dissociation, characterized by altered states of consciousness during traumatic events, is a significant predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Understanding Peritraumatic Dissociation: A Protective Response in Trauma

Peritraumatic dissociation refers to a state of dissociation that occurs during or immediately following a traumatic event. Dissociation involves a disruption in the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception, leading to a sense of detachment from one’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, or memories. In the context of trauma, peritraumatic dissociation involves a dissociative response that occurs in response to the overwhelming stress and intensity of the traumatic experience.

During peritraumatic dissociation, individuals may experience a range of dissociative symptoms, including:

Depersonalization: Feeling detached from oneself or one’s body, as if observing oneself from outside.

Derealization: Experiencing a sense of unreality or detachment from the surrounding environment, as if the world has become distorted or unfamiliar.

Amnesia: Having gaps or lapses in memory for parts of the traumatic event, or experiencing a sense of disconnection from one’s memories of the event.

Emotional numbing: Feeling emotionally detached or numb, with a diminished capacity to experience feelings or emotions in response to the traumatic event.

Time distortion: Perceiving time as slowed down, sped up, or fragmented during the traumatic event, leading to a distorted sense of time.

Peritraumatic dissociation is considered a common and adaptive response to extreme stress and danger. It can serve as a protective mechanism, allowing individuals to psychologically distance themselves from the overwhelming intensity of the traumatic experience. However, while peritraumatic dissociation may provide temporary relief from distress, it can also interfere with the encoding and processing of memories, leading to fragmented or disjointed recollections of the traumatic event.

Research has shown that peritraumatic dissociation is a significant predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders[5]. Individuals who experience high levels of peritraumatic dissociation during a traumatic event may be at increased risk for developing long-term psychological difficulties. Therefore, understanding and addressing peritraumatic dissociation is an important aspect of trauma-informed care and treatment. Therapeutic approaches aimed at promoting grounding, stabilization, and integration of traumatic memories can help individuals process and recover from peritraumatic dissociation and its effects.

Time Distortion in Trauma: When Seconds Feel Like Eternity

When individuals experience trauma, their perception of time can become profoundly distorted, as if time stands still or moves in unpredictable ways. Traumatic events often disrupt the normal flow of time, leaving individuals feeling as though they are suspended in a moment of intense distress or danger.

During traumatic experiences, the brain’s processing of time can be altered, leading to a phenomenon known as time dilation. Time may appear to slow down or speed up, creating a disorienting and surreal sense of temporality. This distortion of time can contribute to the intensity of the traumatic experience, as individuals struggle to make sense of their surroundings and circumstances.

In moments of extreme threat or danger, the brain’s survival mechanisms may prioritize immediate survival over the perception of time. This can result in heightened sensory perception, with individuals experiencing a heightened awareness of their surroundings and a hyperfocus on specific details.

Some people report feeling as though time has fragmented or become disjointed during traumatic events. Memories of the event may be fragmented or disorganized, making it difficult to construct a coherent narrative of what occurred.

The experience of time distortion during trauma can have profound effects on individuals’ emotional and psychological well-being. It can contribute to feelings of disorientation, confusion, and dissociation, making it challenging to process and integrate the traumatic experience into their understanding of reality.

Unraveling Memory Fragmentation in Trauma: Understanding the Complexities and Implications

In the aftermath of trauma, memories often become fragmented and disorganized, presenting challenges as you attempt to make sense of your experiences. This fragmentation of memory is a complex phenomenon rooted in the intricate workings of the brain’s response to trauma. Several factors contribute to why memories become fragmented in trauma:

Amygdala Activation: During traumatic events, the amygdala, a region of the brain involved in emotional processing, is highly activated. This heightened emotional arousal can interfere with the brain’s ability to encode memories accurately. Instead of forming coherent and integrated memories, the brain may store fragmented and disjointed pieces of information, particularly those associated with intense emotional experiences.

Hippocampus Impairment: The hippocampus, another critical brain structure involved in memory formation, may become impaired during traumatic events. The overwhelming stress and arousal associated with trauma can impair the hippocampus’s function, leading to deficits in memory consolidation and retrieval. As a result, you may struggle to recall specific details or sequence events in a coherent narrative.

Encoding Bias: The brain’s response to trauma may bias memory encoding towards sensory and emotional details rather than factual information. This bias can lead to the encoding of vivid sensory impressions, such as sights, sounds, and smells, while factual details may be overlooked or distorted. As a result, traumatic memories may lack context and coherence, contributing to their fragmented nature.

Dissociation: During traumatic events, individuals may experience dissociative states characterized by a sense of detachment from reality or a disconnection from their thoughts, feelings, and memories. Dissociation can disrupt the encoding and integration of memories, leading to fragmented and disjointed recollections of the traumatic event. Individuals may report feeling as though they were watching the event unfold from a distance or experiencing it as if in a dream-like state.

Repression and Suppression: In some cases, the mind may employ defensive mechanisms such as repression or suppression to cope with overwhelming trauma. These mechanisms involve pushing distressing memories out of conscious awareness as a way of protecting you from emotional pain. However, this can result in memory fragmentation, as traumatic experiences are compartmentalized and stored separately from other aspects of memory.

Overall, the fragmentation of memories in trauma is a complex interplay of neurobiological, psychological, and environmental factors. Trauma affects memory processing, resulting in disintegrated and fragmented memories charged with emotional intensity. Understanding why memories become fragmented in trauma can provide insights into the challenges faced in processing and integrating your traumatic experiences.

Understanding Flashbacks, Intrusive Thoughts, and Nightmares

Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and nightmares are common experiences for individuals who have been exposed to trauma. These phenomena often reoccur and can be distressing, contributing to significant emotional and psychological distress. Understanding the function of these experiences within the context of trauma is essential in your healing journey.

Flashbacks: Flashbacks are vivid and intrusive recollections of traumatic events that can feel as though you are reliving the experience in the present moment. They may be triggered by reminders of the trauma, such as sights, sounds, or smells, or they may occur seemingly out of the blue. The function of flashbacks is often related to the brain’s attempt to process and make sense of the traumatic memories. By replaying the traumatic event, the brain may be attempting to integrate fragmented memories and resolve the emotional intensity associated with the trauma. However, flashbacks can also be retraumatizing, causing you to feel overwhelmed and powerless.

Intrusive Thoughts: Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and distressing thoughts or images related to the traumatic event that intrude upon your consciousness. These thoughts may be persistent and difficult to control, leading to feelings of anxiety, shame, or guilt. The function of intrusive thoughts may be linked to the brain’s attempt to process and make sense of the trauma by repeatedly rehearsing the details of the event. However, intrusive thoughts can also serve as triggers, intensifying feelings of distress and contributing to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Nightmares: Nightmares are disturbing and vivid dreams that often revolve around themes related to the traumatic event. They may involve reenactments of the trauma or variations of the event that evoke feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. Nightmares can disrupt sleep and contribute to feelings of exhaustion and emotional dysregulation. The function of nightmares may be similar to that of flashbacks and intrusive thoughts, as the brain attempts to process and integrate traumatic memories during sleep. However, nightmares can also serve as a form of emotional processing, allowing you to confront and work through their fears in a safe environment.

While flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and nightmares can be distressing, they are attempts by the brain to resolve these memories, often met with resistance from the conscious mind.

Ilse Gevaert is a psychologist and coach with expertise in trauma, narcissistic abuse, resilience, neurodiversity (ASD and ADHD), and giftedness. Ilse continued her education at prestigious institutions such as Harvard and Cornell, where she obtained leadership certificates that have informed her practice.

References

[1] Felitti V.J., et al., 1995-1997. Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 14, Number 4.

[2] van der Kolk B. Posttraumatic stress disorder and the nature of trauma. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2000 Mar;2(1):7-22. doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2000.2.1/bvdkolk. PMID: 22034447; PMCID: PMC3181584.

[3] vanderKolk BA., vanderHart O. The intrusive past: the flexibility of memory and the engraving of trauma. Am imago. 1991;48:425–454.

[4] Felitti VJ., Anda RF., Nordernberg D., et al. Relationship of childhood abuse to many of the leading causes of death in adults: the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. Am J Prev Med. 1998;14:245–258.

[5] Breh DC, Seidler GH. Is peritraumatic dissociation a risk factor for PTSD? Journal of Trauma & Dissociaton. 2007;8(1):53-69. doi: 10.1300/J229v08n01_04. PMID: 17409054.