Traumatic events push the nervous system outside its ability to regulate itself. For some, the system gets stuck in the “on” position, and the person is overstimulated and unable to calm. Anxiety, anger, restlessness, panic, and hyperactivity can all result when you stay in this ready-to-react mode.
Fight, Flight, and Freeze
This chain reaction increases heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. After the danger has passed, the parasympathetic nervous system calms down the fight-or-flight response. This is also called the rest and digest system, which restores the body to equilibrium.
Traumatic stress has a broad range of effects on brain function and structure, as well as on neuropsychological components of memory. Brain areas implicated in the stress response include the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.
It can manifest as mental health symptoms (such as depression, anxiety and panic, sleep issues, poor memory, poor concentration and attention, irritability, exhaustion), and inappropriate behaviour (such as rage outbursts, passive aggression, being shut down, lying, being vindictive or particularly argumentative), ...
Among the most common are epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and stroke.
Neurological disorders are central and peripheral nervous system diseases, that is, they occur in the brain, spine, and multiple nerves that connect both.
According to recent studies, Emotional Trauma and PTSD do cause both brain and physical damage. Neuropathologists have seen overlapping effects of physical and emotional trauma upon the brain.
While the event may be over, the impacts of a traumatic experience can live on in your body for decades. Research shows that adults who had traumatic experiences in childhood are more likely to experience neurological dysfunction as they get older.
In response to trauma, the body's nerves may react in a way that can lead to a different, chronic form of pain, called neuropathy. Some studies have found that approximately 30-50% of individuals have pain following trauma. Neuropathy, or nerve pain, has many potential causes and may manifest in a variety of ways.
Ever since people's responses to overwhelming experiences have been systematically explored, researchers have noted that a trauma is stored in somatic memory and expressed as changes in the biological stress response.
Regeneration time depends on how seriously your nerve was injured and the type of injury that you sustained. If your nerve is bruised or traumatized but is not cut, it should recover over 6-12 weeks. A nerve that is cut will grow at 1mm per day, after about a 4 week period of 'rest' following your injury.
Some of the most common causes of nerve damage include: Disease: Many infections, cancers, and autoimmune diseases like diabetes, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis can cause nervous system problems. Diabetes can lead to diabetes-related neuropathy, causing tingling and pain in the legs and feet.
Core neurochemical features of PTSD include abnormal regulation of catecholamine, serotonin, amino acid, peptide, and opioid neurotransmitters, each of which is found in brain circuits that regulate/integrate stress and fear responses.
It's helping your hippocampus process through memories, and that sends a message to your amygdala that you're actually safe. So something as simple as a writing exercise can help rewire your brain from that trauma. More types of treatments include CBT, EMDR, somatic experience.
But when we're placed in very stressful situations, like during traumatic experiences, some brain changes can result in lasting physical and mental health challenges. That said, positive change is possible. The neuroplasticity that enables brains to change in response to trauma also allows them to heal.
Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include: Negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world. Hopelessness about the future. Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event.
Frequent energy slumps and/or constant fatigue. Attention/concentration problems, brain fog and trouble focusing on tasks. Digestive dysfunction and reduced digestive capacity. Usually swaying to the side of constipation or incomplete bowel motions.
The autonomic nervous system produces your fight-or-flight response, which is designed to help you defend yourself or run away from danger. When you are under stress or anxious, this system kicks into action, and physical symptoms can appear — headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, shakiness, or stomach pain.
Can Anxiety Damage Your Nerves? While anxiety and stress can play into neuropathy, they can't actually damage your nerves. This means that stress isn't a root cause of neuropathy. Even if you're incredibly stressed every day for months, that by itself won't cause damage to your nerves.