If you or a loved one is dealing with past trauma, your journey toward healing is likely going to require a supportive, understanding, and knowledgeable team. The trauma therapists and mental health professionals at Lighthouse Healing Center in Mississippi are here to support you in your trauma recovery, addressing your needs with a comprehensive and personalized treatment plan. We use a holistic approach to address past traumas, one that encompasses a mind-and-body approach. Since trauma often greatly affects the mind and lives in the body of trauma survivors, we know that addressing both aspects is an incredibly important part of healing.
What Happens in the Brain and Body During Trauma?
Both the body and brain have significant responses to trauma, both in the moment and potentially for years afterward.
The Brain’s Response to Trauma
The brain can be tremendously impacted by emotional trauma. The brain’s function and structure can undergo changes as a result of trauma that affects the individual greatly. There are various ways the brain is affected by trauma but there are a few main ways that the limbic system, for instance, is affected. When faced with trauma or trying to process past trauma, the amygdala, which is the brain’s center for processing emotions, becomes hyperactive. This leads to heightened emotional responses for years to come while the brain attempts to process the trauma. Another impact trauma has on the brain is in the hippocampus which plays a crucial part in memory. Trauma can impact the way the hippocampus forms memories, leading to impaired processing of memories in general and the inability to process traumatic events. The hypothalamus is responsible for triggering energy and stress hormones from the adrenal glands to prepare a flight or flight response. Trauma can lead to an extended period of overactive hypothalamus activity (sometimes for years to come). Trauma can also disrupt neurotransmitter functions, leading to chemical imbalances of serotonin and dopamine, resulting in depression and anxiety. The prefrontal cortex may also be compromised from trauma which affects decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation.
Understanding the short and long-term effects of PTSD on the brain as well as what emotional trauma brain symptoms to look for enable us to effectively address and treat trauma. This knowledge also helps those who have endured trauma understand their responses in daily life and is a crucial component of healing from past trauma.
Effects of Trauma on the Body
The body’s response to trauma through the nervous system is similarly controlled by brain function. The increased and prolonged release of the stress hormones from the adrenal glands mentioned above causes increased levels of adrenaline and cortisol in trauma victims which can lead to a whole host of health problems. Cardiovascular issues, compromised immunity, and digestive problems are just a few of the physical health concerns that arise from past trauma. The physical effects of trauma don’t end there. Physical health (and mental) can also be greatly affected by anxiety and depression, which are common responses to past trauma.
Best Trauma Treatment Near Me
Our decades of experience in trauma treatment have shown us the importance of an approach that addresses both mind and body since trauma can greatly affect both arenas. Our experienced and compassionate team creates customized trauma treatment plans for you, using evidence-based therapies to ensure you’re receiving the best available treatment for trauma. We incorporate the latest in both therapeutic and mind-body healing techniques into our programs, including mindfulness, breath work, yoga, and meditation. The safe and supportive atmosphere at Lighthouse Healing Center provides the ideal environment for you to heal and progress in moving beyond your trauma. Call us today to learn more about how we can help your mind and body heal from trauma.
