Recent research in neurobiology indicates that trauma is an experience that is stored at the sensory level of our brain. When a trauma occurs, more often than not, we do not have time to “think” through what is happening, as a result, the event is stored as sights, sounds, smells and emotions such as terror. These sensory memories may be inadvertently recalled whenever there are reminders of the trauma such as similar sights, sounds or smells. These reminders can produce emotions such as anxiety and fear, as though the trauma were happening all over again. This reaction is confusing to the person who is affected, as they are experiencing misconceptions or misinterpretations of a current situation. These misconceptions may lead to maladaptive behaviors, such as becoming angry for no apparent reason, withdraw and become isolated, feel anxious, panic or depressed.Trauma reaction is the inability to move the sensory memories of those traumatic experiences to our cognitive memory where the information can be processed, managed and reframed as a memory and not something that is happening in the here and now. Some symptoms of ongoing reactions to trauma may include:Difficulty with school work, concentrating or remembering
Becoming anxious or agitated
Becoming clingy to a primary care giver
Withdrawal or isolation
Difficulty sleeping, or afraid to sleep alone
Easily startled
Becoming “watchful” waiting or looking out for danger
The development of headaches, stomach aches, fatigue or other somatic complaints
Anxiety when in similar situations that remind a person of the trauma
A trauma specialist has been trained to utilize interventions such as art activities to assist in bringing the sensory information to “words” and details; teach the trauma victim how to understand and counteract reactions to sensory reminders of the trauma; help the victim use cognitive reframing to make sense of the trauma; and help the victim move from being a survivor of trauma to a thriver of trauma, allowing their future to be free of intrusive thoughts and memories.Need someone to talk to?
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