PTSD AND COMPLEX TRAUMA

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A traumatic event is defined as anything experienced or witnessed that threatened or caused death or serious injury and evoked feelings of intense fear, horror, or helplessness.

The Autonomic Nervous System responds to threats (or perceived threats) to ones’ safety by putting into motion a set of physiological responses to ensure survival. After the threat has passed, the nervous system often continues to respond as if the body is still in danger. Over time, this can cause certain parts of the brain to become overactive while other parts are under active.

This imbalance can lead to difficulties with focus, problem solving, impulsivity, and information processing. Additionally, survivors report trouble with relationships, inability to tolerate physical closeness, and feelings of disconnection from the self and others.

Advances in neuroscience have brought about discoveries in the area of traumatic memory. One such discovery is that traumatic memory is stored in different parts of the brain than non-traumatic memory; it is stored as sensations, feelings, and pictures.

Additionally, 80% of the nerves in the body run from the body extremities to the brain. While the body is gathering information from the extremities (and other nerves) and telling the brain how to respond, the parts of the brain responsible for language processing and problem solving are impacted.

Given this information, it makes sense that to foster healing, we need to engage the physical body. The pathway that needs to be strengthened is called the Interoceptive Pathway. By engaging these parts of the brain, we can increase body awareness, regulate nervous system responses, and create a sense of safety in the body.