How trauma changes the brain
It’s a lot more complicated than you think.
by: E.B. Johnson
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the world “trauma” slathered across the internet. Everyone claims to have trauma. But the world has become overused and misunderstood in the process. To be traumatized is not simply to be yelled at, or disappointed in a Starbucks. True trauma leaves lasting mental and emotional scars that actually change the physiological landscape of our brains.
How trauma changes the brain.
Trauma isn’t just something that hurts our feelings (despite what some popular internet definitions would have you believe). In fact, it’s a deep scar which actually changes the physical layout — and operating ability — of our brains. From smaller and even under-developed prefrontal cortexes to a struggling hippocampus — there’s a reason our nervous systems struggle to cope in the wake of a debilitating emotional experience.
The prefrontal cortex
Our prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that helps us to make rational decisions. Victims of trauma, though, generally have less active prefrontal cortexes than those without a lot of traumas. As a result, those with PTSD and C-PTSD can find that they struggle to learn new…
