![]() avoiding people, places, or scenarios that upset you.low self-esteem or negative self-perception.struggling in interpersonal relationships.This bodily state of your nervous system being on “high alert” can affect your thoughts, actions, and relationships. These lasting effects create symptoms of complex trauma. In his book, “ The Body Keeps the Score,” trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, MD, describes how trauma literally becomes trapped in the body and the brain rewires itself. Over time, it becomes a “new normal” for the brain and body. It’s an experience of constantly being in survival mode, or on edge. It’s a coping mechanism to try and stay safe in the face of ongoing adversity. The limbic system stays engaged most of the time. Once the danger passes, your parasympathetic nervous system provides inner calm, otherwise known as your “rest and digest” mode.Īt this point, normal cognitive function returns, and you can go back to your day with relatively few side effects, perhaps only feeling a little jittery for a while, or a bit on edge.īut for people who live with complex trauma, this balance doesn’t quite return all the way. ![]() ![]() This “fire alarm” shuts down all nonessential systems (rest, digestion, sleep) and floods your body with stress hormones, like cortisol, so you can prepare for fight, flight, or freeze. When you experience a traumatic event, it activates the limbic system in the brain.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |