The Science Behind PTSD Symptoms:
How Trauma Changes The Brain

https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/09/16/the-science-behind-ptsd-symptoms-how-trauma-changes-the-brain/
Signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Today…11/26/2016

PERHAPS Counselors would “server better & heal faster”…
if the were made AWARE of ANY “LIFE-ALTERING TRAUMAS”…
** DIET TRAUMA (SAD)…
(lack of Whole Grains (not any of the White Menace foods)
** LACK OF SEAFOOD (FISH) OMEGA 3 FOODS IN DIET…
** (Processed WHEAT & Pasteurized DAIRY)
(GMO & “Heat-Altered”-Prefrontal Brain-foods)
***EXCESSES … “ONLY TAX” the body & slow down the healing process…
** Stresses at home & work place…
** Inherited DNA…

After…”ANY TYPE” OF TRAUMA…
(from combat to car accidents, natural disasters to domestic violence, sexual assault to child abuse…DIVORCE or LIFE-ALTERING ILLNESS…physical or mental) or sudden loss of a very close loved one (UNRESOLVED GRIEF)…loss of job…

THE BRAIN & BODY Changes…EVERY Cell Records Memories…
& every “embedded”… “trauma-related” NEURO-PATHWAY…
HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPEATEDLY REACTIVATE…

Sometimes the alterations these imprints create are transitory…
the small glitch of disruptive dreams and moods that subside in a few weeks.

In other situations…the changes evolve into “readily apparent symptoms” that impair function & present in ways that interfere with jobs, friendships and relationships.

One of the most difficult aspects for survivors in the aftermath of any trauma is understanding the changes that occur, plus integrating what they mean, how they affect a life and what can be done to ameliorate them.

Launching the recovery process begins with normalizing post-trauma symptoms by investigating how trauma affects that brain
& what symptoms these effects create…

The 3-Part Brain
The Triune Brain model, introduced by physician and neuroscientist Paul D. MacLean, explains the brain in three parts:
▪ Binary …Reptilian (brain stem): This innermost part of the brain is responsible for survival instincts and autonomic body processes.
▪ Mid-brain…Mammalian (limbic, midbrain): The midlevel of the brain, this part processes emotions and conveys sensory relays.
▪ Prefrontal… (cortex, forebrain): The most highly evolved “thinking” part of the brain…This area controls cognitive processing, decision-making, learning, memory & inhibitory functions…
During a traumatic experience, the Binary (reptilian) brain takes control…

Shifting the body into “reactive mode”.of the Binary Primal Brain…
Shutting down all “non-essential” body and mind processes…

Something in the binary brain “shifts” when the trauma occurred …often causes relationships to change…

the “Binary Brain” or Brain Stem orchestrates SURVIVAL MODE…
Also known as “Binary Blockage”…

During this time the sympathetic nervous system increases stress hormones (“Cortisol” a solvent (along with alcohol)…that “dissolves neural tissue”)
& prepares the body to fight, flee or freeze.

In a normal situation, when immediate threat ceases, the parasympathetic nervous system shifts the body into restorative mode. This process reduces stress hormones and allows the brain to shift back to the normal top-down structure of control.

However, for those 20 percent of trauma survivors who go on to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) —

Blockage remains & prevents “thought integration” with the autobiographical memory in the Prefrontal brain…
(thought passage through the Mid-brain)…
an unmitigated experience of anxiety related to the past trauma —

the shift from reactive to responsive mode never occurs…

Instead, the Binary (animal brain)… primed to threat &supported by dysregulated activity in significant brain structures…
Will hold the survivor in a “constant reactive” state…
Hyper-vigilance (often is not able to recall the incidence…without access to the autobiographical memory in right side of the Prefrontal Cortex)…

The Dysregulated Post-Trauma Brain
The four categories of PTSD symptoms include:
Intrusive thoughts (unwanted memories);
Mood alterations (shame, blame, persistent negativity);
Hyper-vigilance (exaggerated startle response)
& avoidance (of all sensory and emotional trauma-related material). These cause confusing symptoms for survivors who don’t understand how they’ve suddenly become so out of control in their own minds and bodies.

Unexpected rage …
Panic attacks, tears, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, shaking,
Memory loss, concentration challenges, insomnia, nightmares
& emotional numbing can hijack both an identity and a life.

The problem isn’t that the trauma survivor won’t “just get over it” but they need time, help & the opportunity to discover her own path to healing in order to do so.

Throughout the brain several chemical and biological imbalances can present after trauma….
Lack of Macrobiotic (live) Diet that emphasized “neural tissue” healing…alcohol, drug, sex & other addictions may form…

Their effects are especially exacerbated by three major brain function dysregulation:
▪ Overstimulated amygdala: An almond-shaped mass located deep in the brain, the amygdala is responsible for survival-related threat identification, plus tagging memories with emotion. After trauma the amygdala can get caught up in a highly alert and activated loop during which it looks for and perceives threat everywhere.
▪ Under active hippocampus: An increase in the stress hormone (Cortisol…glucocorticoid (as well at trying to treat with ALCOHOL)… kills cells in the hippocampus, which renders it less effective in making synaptic connections necessary for memory consolidation.

This interruption keeps both the body and mind stimulated in reactive mode as neither element receives the message that the threat has transformed into the past tense…The .Brain is Stuck in “Binary Blockage”…”Calling to consciousness either by Confession (free)”
or years of costly (money & time) counseling…
▪ Ineffective variability: The constant elevation of stress hormones interferes with the body’s ability to regulate itself. The sympathetic nervous system remains highly activated leading to fatigue of the body and many of its systems, most notably the adrenal.

How Healing Happens
While changes to the brain can seem, on the surface, disastrous and representative of permanent damage, the TRUTH IS THAT ALL OF THESE ALTERATIONS CAN BE REVERSED…
Live Food diet…
“Your Face Never Lies: What Your Face Reveals About You and Your Health, an Introduction to Oriental DiagnosisMay 1, 1983
by Michio Kushi Macrobiotic Medicine…Eastern Medicine..
Plant Protein (whole grains & not GMO Wheat (Franken foods) or Pasteurized Dairy)
Generous..Seafood…Fish…Omega 3 diet… Supports faster repair of the neural tissue…
“Franken-processed-Wheat… GMO enriched & refined grain…Processed dairy & Alcohol…EXCESS of all… work against healing….
Slow or prevent repair….

* The amygdala can learn to relax;
* The hippocampus can resume proper memory consolidation;
The nervous system can recommence its easy flow between reactive & restorative modes.

The key to achieving a state of neutrality
& then healing lies in “helping to reprogram” the body and mind…(& soul)

While the two collaborate in a natural feedback loop, processes designed for each individually are vast. Hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming and other brain-related modalities can teach the mind to reframe and release the grip of trauma.
Likewise, approaches including somatic experiencing, tension and trauma releasing exercises and other body-centric techniques can help the body recalibrate to normalcy along with Plant Protein diet (above)…

Survivors are unique; their healing will be individual…Consider DNA…inherited structure of the Mind
& the current amount OF STESS at home & work…

There is no one-size-fits-all or personal guarantee for what will work (and the same program will not work for everyone). However…
The majority of evidence suggests that “when survivors COMMIT to a process” of exploring and testing treatment options they can, over a period of time, reduce the effects of trauma and even eliminate symptoms of PTSD.