How Does Trauma Affect the Brain?
- May 12, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 6
Trauma is a deeply impactful experience that can fundamentally change how a person views the world, others, and themselves. These experiences can rewire the brain's entire way of thinking, making the idea of simply "getting over it" an unviable option. Fortunately, understanding how trauma affects the brain's core structures is the first step toward healing and recovery.
How does trauma impact the brain?
Traumatic experiences can alter three main parts of the brain: the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex, leading to symptoms like constant anxiety, fear, and difficulty with emotional regulation and rational thought.
For a deeper look at the specific ways trauma impacts each of these brain regions and to explore effective treatment methods, continue reading our full guide.
PTSD and brain trauma can affect how you function. Trauma affects 3 parts of the brain: the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. In whatever form it may take, trauma is a fundamental experience that can shape the way that an individual views their world, other people, and themselves.
This debilitating experience can alter one’s daily structure by introducing anxiety, fear, panic, and many other symptoms into one’s daily life. Trauma can make daily tasks difficult to accomplish, relationships hard to manage, and emotions difficult to articulate.
The effects of trauma on a person are extensive and directly impact certain areas of one’s brain. The parts of the brain impacted by trauma can make specific mental processes difficult and may lead to physical symptoms, stunting development in certain areas. Three parts of the brain affected most by trauma are the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex.
The Effects of Trauma on the Brain
The brain is a powerful thing yet is still susceptible to the long-lasting effects of traumatic experiences. However, these can stretch beyond just invasive thoughts, as trauma can rewire an individual’s entire method of thinking from the ground up, making the notions of just “getting over it” or “forgetting about it” unviable options for those suffering from trauma.
Instead, the mind of a person suffering from trauma may be unable to process or relinquish these traumatic experiences, as they now dictate the person’s worldview, including their perceptions or interpretations of once-familiar things. Trauma also shapes one’s mind to take on a “survival mode” above all else. Trauma can leave a lasting sense of danger in one’s mind and can shape the world into a hostile, unforgiving image.
Those with trauma may feel constant anxiety, as their minds seem to be shouting that their very wellbeing is in jeopardy. This also causes emotional and physical safety to become their only priority. However, each part of the brain will react to this trauma in a unique way, all working to create the symptoms of the “PTSD brain” that follow traumatic experiences.
Trauma and the Hippocampus
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is responsible for the creation and recollection of memories. However, under the effects of traumatic experiences, this part of the brain can begin to alter its regular functions in a few ways.
For some, the hippocampus may block certain memories from one’s mind, making it difficult to uncover memories of past traumas as the brain tries to protect itself from its horrific imagery.
Others may find that thoughts of traumatic experiences are invading their everyday life, being recalled with frequency and at inconvenient times. The overwhelming nature of trauma can imbed itself into one’s ability to create and recall memories and reshape aspects of one’s memories to take on a more harmful or malicious tone.
This is also the part of the brain responsible for reacting to stressors and triggers, creating associations between the things a person may see or hear and their past traumas.
However, for some, the damage to the hippocampus can also be physical, with extreme or unaddressed traumas physically altering the size of the hippocampus, stunting its growth.
Trauma and the Amygdala
The amygdala is the emotional center of the brain and is responsible for regulating one’s emotional responses to an array of different stimuli. However, if traumatic experiences damage this part of the brain, it can become challenging for one’s emotions to be monitored or processed logically, leading to extreme emotional reactions.
This can be either drastic emotions that seem blown out of proportion or inexplicable emotions that may not align with what a person is experiencing. As a result, extreme emotional responses can become common as unregulated, extreme survival reactions. This may lead to prevailing feelings of intense depression, fear, and anxiety as the mind continues to dive deeper into survival mode because of these unregulated emotional responses.
Trauma and the Prefrontal Cortex
The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain responsible for one’s “higher thought.” This is where one’s rationalizing strategies come into play and allow a person to act with knowledge and intention rather than relying on immediate, instinctual reactions. However, traumatic experiences can also damage this part of the brain, making it difficult to access this kind of higher thinking while under such duress daily.
This can lead a person to act irrationally or act without thinking of future consequences. The damage done to this part of the brain is also highly influential when it comes to individuals seeking relief from their PTSD symptoms and plays a part in deciding to turn to drugs or alcohol for this relief. The difficulty of engaging in this “higher mind” can lead to any number of irrational or illogical actions, or even associations and assumptions.
How Does Trauma Affect the Brain: Treatment Methods
Despite the nature of one’s trauma, there are always ways to heal from traumatic experiences. Beginning with individual and group therapy and mindfulness practices, each person is challenged to take a breath and rationalize their thinking before taking action. Talking about one’s emotional responses in a safe setting can allow for an individual to begin rewriting their mental framework, actively challenging the modes of thinking that may be dictated by anxiety, fear, depression, or any other symptoms of PTSD.
Others may benefit from the use of medication-assisted therapy, helping to alleviate some of the drastic symptoms of PTSD to ensure that they can effectively engage in other therapeutic practices. This can also be particularly effective with desensitization techniques to objectively challenge one’s preconceived notions and assumptions after traumatic events by working to slowly and safely challenge an individual to face their trauma.
Somatic experiences and recreational therapies are also ways to get the entire body and mind involved, working to better understand how the damage done to the brain following a traumatic event has affected the other parts of one’s life. This helps to create a framework for an individual to explore their own identity and interests following trauma.
Frequently Ask Questions:
• What parts of the brain are affected by trauma?
Trauma most significantly affects the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex.
• How does trauma affect the hippocampus?
Trauma can alter the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, causing some people to block traumatic memories while others experience frequent, intrusive recollections.
• What is the amygdala's role, and how does trauma impact it?
The amygdala is the brain's emotional center. When damaged by trauma, it can make it difficult for a person to logically process or regulate their emotions, leading to extreme reactions.
• How does trauma affect the prefrontal cortex?
Trauma can damage the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher thought and rationalizing. This can make it difficult for a person to act with intention and may lead to irrational actions.
• What are some treatment methods for trauma?
Effective treatment methods for trauma can include individual or group therapy, mindfulness practices, medication-assisted therapy, and somatic or recreational therapies.
When traumatic experiences have affected you or a loved one, understanding the impact on the brain is a powerful first step toward healing. At Chateau Health and Wellness Treatment Center, we're dedicated to guiding you through this journey. Our team understands how trauma can alter the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, and we are committed to providing personalized care that helps rewrite those pathways. We believe that with our support, you can reclaim your life from the debilitating effects of trauma. If you're ready to take that next step, please call us today at (435) 222-5225.
About The Author
Ben Pearson, LCSW - Clinical Director
With 19 years of experience, Ben Pearson specializes in adolescent and family therapy, de-escalation, and high-risk interventions. As a former Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient program, he played a key role in clinical interventions and group therapy. With 15+ years in wilderness treatment and over a decade as a clinician, Ben has helped countless individuals and families navigate mental health and recovery challenges.
Danny Warner, CEO of Chateau Health and Wellness
Brings a wealth of experience in business operations, strategic alliances, and turnaround management, with prior leadership roles at Mediconnect Global, Klever Marketing, and WO Investing, Inc. A graduate of Brigham Young University in Economics and History, Danny has a proven track record of delivering results across diverse industries. His most transformative role, however, was as a trail walker and counselor for troubled teens at the Anasazi Foundation, where he directly impacted young lives, a personal commitment to transformation that now drives his leadership at Chateau.
Austin Pederson, Executive Director of Chateau Health and Wellness
Brings over eight years of experience revolutionizing mental health and substance abuse treatment through compassionate care and innovative business strategies. Inspired by his own recovery journey, Austin has developed impactful programs tailored to individuals facing trauma and stress while fostering comprehensive support systems that prioritize holistic wellness. His empathetic leadership extends to educating and assisting families, ensuring lasting recovery for clients and their loved ones.
