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Trust, Vanished in Smoke
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Recent brain scans have revealed that children living with unstable families where the child is exposed to constant arguing between the parents or themselves are abused/neglected, have brain changes similar to combat soldiers after returning from active duty. In some cases, the brains of abused children are in even worse shape than the combat soldiers.
The key difference lies in the context of the trauma. A child’s brain is still developing, making it highly susceptible to having its core structures and functions altered. A soldier’s brain, which is already mature, is changed by extreme stress but is less fundamentally altered than a child’s.
The shared neurobiological process: an over-activated internal alarm system.
Trauma forces the brain to initiate a “fight or flight or freeze” response for survival. When this state becomes chronic, it changes the brain’s baseline functioning, creating a state of constant, heightened alert. This process affects key brain regions involved in emotion, memory and rational thought.
If you experienced trauma as a child and never actively did intentional work to heal your brain or nervous system, you are likely experiencing chronic symptoms well into adulthood as a result.
~ The Farmacyreal
