Effects of trauma on the brain

We can think of the growing mind as developing in layers, like the layers of an onion or the rings found in the trunk of a tree (Figure 1).

When a trauma happens the mind is given too much to cope with - it cannot process the information into normal memories, so they remain as disconnected fragments of sensory perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and body states. The brain helps us to cope with this by building a protective layer as it tries to "wall off" the traumatic material. This allows us to cope with the immediate business of survival, allowing us to get on with our lives. (Figure 2).

Often there is not just a single trauma but several. Each time, the brain builds another protective wall, so we may be left with many layers of repressed material that have not been dealt with (Figure 3).

These defensive walls are not completely solid, so fragments of disconnected memories are able to leak out and cause trouble. This often happens in response to a trigger - a specific situation or environmental cue. The material that leaks out can contain strong emotions, strong physical reactions and illogical thoughts. It may return as flashbacks, nightmares, physical responses such as shaking and muscular tension, in fact any of the symptoms that are characteristic of trauma or PTSD.