The Effects of PTSD on the Brain

How PTSD Changes the Brain

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is primarily considered a psychological disorder and that leads many to the unfortunate misconception that for sufferers, it's "all in their head." In a manner of speaking, that's true: it is all in their head, but not in the way naysayers or ignorant people think. In fact, exposure to a traumatic event actually changes the chemicals in an individual’s brain. These chemicals regulate things like mood, impulsivity, contentment, happiness, fight-or-flight responses, and much, much more.

Here is a quick guide to the neurological effects of PTSD:

1.       The brain starts over producing cortisol. This is one of the most powerful stress hormones that the brain releases; it comes from the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that controls the autonomic nervous system and other functions, like thirst, hunger, sleep, and emotional responses. An excess of cortisol can slow the body's ability to heal itself, interfere with sleep, slow down the sex drive, and cause constant anxiety.

2.       The brain's "fight or flight" system goes haywire. In folks with regularly functioning brains, the "fight or flight" system is fairly well regulated. Upon seeing something potentially dangerous, the amygdala gears up to start our instinctual "fight or flight" reaction, and it does this all the time in response to any perceived danger or threat. In most people, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex then goes to work rationalizing the situation, and the hippocampus provides context, which, if the situation doesn't turn out to be dangerous, ends up overriding the panic response and just gives us a little "thrill." However, PTSD disrupts the balance of these areas of the brain, giving the amygdala free reign to respond with "fight or flight" reactions to slight or perceived, threats. This is likely at the heart of signature PTSD symptoms like night terrors and "shutting down" in the face of normal, everyday stressors.

3.       The hippocampus doesn't work as well as it should. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that provides context for a situation in the "fight or flight" response by regulating memory. However, PTSD affects the operation of the hippocampus, causing memory loss or difficulty retrieving memories in appropriate situations. The science isn't conclusive on how this works; however, chronic sufferers of PTSD definitely have smaller hypothalamuses, but researchers aren't sure why. It's possible that the overproduction of cortisol actually shrinks the hypothalamus, thus affecting memory creation and access over time, or it could be that people with genetically smaller hypothalamuses are more prone to PTSD than others.

LEARN ABOUT NEUROFEEDBACK FOR PTSD

An Overview of the History of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Looking into the history of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is complicated, and we're truly still finding and understanding a complete detox from the disease. It’s a comparatively new term for a disorder that has influenced soldiers for 1000's of years. Signs and symptoms demonstrative from the going debilitating mental results of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder happen to be recorded throughout the history of warfare.

A brief history of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder takes us back completely to reports from Ancient Greece. In documents through the Greek historian Herodotus, he writes about signs and symptoms including conversion responses along with other common mental signs and symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which are well recorded in the current soldiers suffering from PTSD today. For instance, in one record of the Spartan commander Leonidas he mentions he needed to refuse warriors that wanted to the fight because he would often see these men were psychologically exhausted in the previous battle.

We know by searching in the annals of history for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that this condition hasn't only affected soldiers. In documents concerning the Great Fire based in London of 1666, one Englishman describes inability to be asleep or awake with no anxiety about fire consuming him. These signs and symptoms endured for several weeks and led to him falling into deep despair and anger. Many modern Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sufferers can also understand and will often present with these signs and symptoms.

Recognition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder made large strides in 1678, when Swiss military doctors formally recognized and named the audience of signs and symptoms associated with the disorder. They called the condition “Nostalgia”. Around the same time frame, German doctors were figuring out exactly the same signs and symptoms within their troops, and created the word “heimweh”, which means homesickness. Afterwards the Spanish language modified a phrase just a little nearer to striking the emotional experience with Post traumatic stress disorder, calling it “estar roto”, meaning literally to become damaged or broken.

Regardless of the knowledge of the existence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder spanning to ancient cultures, Western doctors and leaders in modern wars happen to be unwilling to address and acknowledge the disorder. From the over 800,000 US troops that were in the actual fighting in World War 2, nearly 40% of these experienced from such severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that they were released permanently. The intense mental damage was blown off as “battle fatigue”. Following the Korean War, roughly one 4th of soldiers in combat experienced Post traumatic stress disorder. Nearly 1 out of 3 of Vietnam veterans have displayed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder signs and symptoms.

In 1980, the American Psychological Association finally created the descriptive phrase, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and recognized it as being the official mental disorder that is known today as PTSD. Scientific studies are still unclear but it's believed that approximately 25-50% from the American troops coming back in the Middle East suffer or are affected by Post traumatic stress disorder.

While it’s good to look at history for examples of Post traumatic stress disorder, we have to also take a look at its future. The signs and symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are extremely serious, and may have a major effect on an individual's existence and quality of life in the long term.

The most typical signs and symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder include:

·         Re-experience with a distressing event

·         Depression, insufficient hope

·         Elevated anxiety, fear, and emotional reactions

·         Avoidance of memory joggers of event

·         Suicidal ideas or feeling

Should you or somebody is struggling with Post traumatic stress disorder, there's help available. Lots of people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder show an incredible reaction to treatment, but it's regrettably common for sufferers to not look for help.

You will find some good treatments available, including:

·         Psychotherapy -With psychotherapy a counselor helps the individual learn how to change how he considers the trauma and it is aftermath. By understanding how to change and prevent destructive thought designs, the individual has the capacity to react more normally to stimuli.

·         Exposure Therapy - With exposure therapy, by speaking having a counselor about ideas and feelings concerning the trauma, the individual has the capacity to stop fearing them. The individual has the capacity to securely face their fears and discover to beat them.

·         Neurofeedback Therapy - This therapy uses computer systems for brain-training exercises to redirect wayward brainwaves to a structured, healthy pattern. Using this method, the mind gets to be more stable and efficient. Research has proven so that it is good at dealing with an array of nerve conditions. See more about neurofeedback

·         Medication - A physician will sometimes prescribe antidepressants, anti-psychotics, or anti-anxiety medicines. However, such medicines ought to be carefully supervised because of serious unwanted effects and chance of dependence.

NEUROFEEDBACK THERAPY FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

What Are Complex PTSD Symptoms?

Complex PTSD is similar to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. However, while PTSD is associated with acute trauma, complex PTSD is the result of repetitive, chronic patterns of interpersonal trauma, such as child or domestic abuse. It is marked by problems with emotional regulation, sense of self, and attachment to other people.

Currently, Complex PTSD is not formally recognized as a discrete diagnosis separate from PTSD. However, many clinicians and researchers have made a case for complex PTSD as a disorder in and of itself. They have proposed lists of Complex PTSD symptoms for use in diagnosing the disorder.

A Set of Complex PTSD Symptoms

On their website, the Centre for Addition and Mental Health (CAMH) proposes the following set of criteria for diagnosing complex PTSD:

I.                    Alteration in Regulation of Affect and Impulses

a.       Affect regulation

b.      Modulation of anger

c.       Self-destructive behavior

d.      Suicidal preoccupation

e.      Difficulty modulating sexual involvement

f.        Excessive risk-taking

II.                  Alterations in Attention or Consciousness

a.       Amnesia

b.      Transient dissociative episodes and depersonalization

III.                Alterations in Self-Perception

a.       Ineffectiveness

b.      Permanent damage

c.       Guilt and responsibility

d.      Shame

e.      Nobody can understand

f.        Minimizing

IV.                Alterations in Relationships with Others

a.       Inability to trust

b.      Re-victimization

c.       Victimizing others

V.                  Somatization

a.       Problems with the digestive system

b.      Chronic pain

c.       Cardiopulmonary symptoms

d.      Conversion symptoms

e.      Sexual symptoms

VI.                Alterations in Systems of Meaning

a.       Despair or hopelessness

b.      Loss of previously sustaining beliefs

These criteria encompass the basic symptoms that distinguish complex PTSD.

Complex PTSD Symptoms in Children versus Adults

Some psychologists propose making a distinction in diagnostic criteria in cases of Complex PTSD in children, versus Complex PTSD in adults.

A “Child and Adolescent Symptom Cluster” for Complex PTSD has been proposed, encompassing seven domains:

·         Attachment

·         Biology

·         Affect or emotional dysregulation

·         Dissociation

·         Behavioral control

·         Cognition

·         Self-concept

An “Adult Symptom Cluster” for Complex PTSD symptoms would include:

·         Difficulty regulation emotions

·         Variations in consciousness, including psychogenic amnesia, dissociation, or intrusive flashbacks of traumatic episodes

·         Changes in self-perception; this often involves a chronic sense of helplessness, along with irrational self-blame and feelings of shame and guilt

·         Varying changes in perception of the person perpetrating the abuse; this may involve attributing too much power to that person, being preoccupied with revenge, or even idealizing that person

·         Alterations in relationships with others; this may take the form of isolation and withdrawal, inability to trust, or reliance on the idea of a “rescuer”

·         Loss of faith, or overwhelming sense of despair

There is not yet a formally accepted set of Complex PTSD symptoms to be used as diagnostic guidelines. The DSM-IV and DSM-V, as well as the ICD-10, do not include Complex PTSD as its own separate disorder. However, symptoms have been identified and listed by clinicians and researchers. Complex PTSD is the result of prolonged trauma, often in the form of interpersonal abuse, and impacts the victim’s sense of self and attachment patterns in interpersonal relationships in a way that is not necessarily reflected in the accepted diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR COMPLEX PTSD