How Trauma Affects the Body

Amongst many definitions of trauma, the overwhelming of the brain’s capacity to cope with distressing experiences, and the subjective experience of threat to life and bodily integrity seem to stand out. Trauma affects the brain and body in several ways impacting individuals’ mental and physical well-being. The body can be perceived either from the outside (third-person perception) or from within by first-person perception which is referred to as ‘soma’. Owing to the significant effects of trauma on the body, it becomes imperative to understand the role that somatic interventions play in healing the body after experiencing trauma.

Effects of Trauma on the Brain-Body Function

The brain can be described as the ‘engine room’ of the body as it controls everything that happens in the body. Some of the ways trauma affects the body include changes in certain structures and functions of the brain such as:

·       The amygdala becomes hyperactive, leading to heightened fear and anxiety.

·       The hippocampus may shrink, affecting the ability to form new memories and leading to dissociation.

·       The prefrontal cortex may become underactive, impairing executive functions.

·       Neurotransmitters imbalances contribute to mood disorders like depression and anxiety.

·       The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may experience chronic dysregulation, leading to prolonged release of cortisol which is often associated with various health issues, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and immune system suppression. The body releases adrenaline increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and energy supplies.

·       Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) dysfunction can happen in two ways. Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight) response can cause chronic stress, hypervigilance, and an inability to relax. While Parasympathetic Nervous System freeze response can lead to numbness, disconnection, and immobility.

What Happens to the Body of a Traumatized Individual

When an individual experiences trauma, their body undergoes a series of physiological and psychological responses leading to a variety of possible changes such as:

• chronic pain in different parts of the body

• headaches

• stomach problems

• weakened immune system

• digestive system problems

• constant fatigue or low energy

• sleep problems

• blood pressure problems

• inability to relax

• discomfort with decision-making, impulse control, and managing emotions

• increased self-doubt/self-critical voice and inferiority feeling

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Trauma’s Effects on the Body

The idea of how trauma affects the body was popularized by Bessel van der Kolk (2014) in his book “The body keeps the score,” which highlights that traumatic stress is associated with functional and chemical changes in the emotional part of the brain—the limbic area and brain stem. Brain scan research demonstrates that traumatic memories are encoded primarily as bodily- and emotional- feelings without words or pictures—detached from the event.  According to Yehuda (2004), “long-lasting responses to trauma result not simply from the experience of fear and helplessness but from how our bodies interpret those experiences”.  Somatic sensations include but are not limited to, spinning, dizziness, pain, heaviness, floating, tingling, numbing, ‘noise’ in the head, and loss of hearing or vision.

Triggers and Triggering

The human brain and body are self-protective, automatically reacting to any cue indicating the possibility of danger (Rozin & Royzman, 2001). Triggering is an indication that the body or emotions are remembering the past.  When the body gets triggered by a person, place, thing, or situation that elicits an intense or unexpected emotional response, this can cause autonomic (fight, flight, or freeze) response. A wide range of behaviors that could follow triggers include dissociating, shouting or screaming, aggressive behavior, crying hysterically, hyperventilating, hiding, having a seizure, and so forth.

How Trauma Affects a Person’s Body and Mental Health

Some of the behaviors of people affected by trauma may include:

• Engaging in addictive behaviors that result in mental health problems like eating disorders and compulsive sexual behaviors.

• Self-harm or self-injury tends to produce adrenaline and endorphin responses in the body, which may buffer emotional pain and bring about feelings of power and clarity.

• Entertaining suicidal thoughts and impulses in a bid to “control” overwhelm by combating feelings of helplessness.

• Using alcohol or other substances to numb or medicate the effects of trauma and to deal with hypo- or hyper-arousal, leading to addiction.

• Prolonged trauma can lead to conditions like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health issues.

Practical Somatic Interventions

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy proposed some somatic resources useful in addressing traumatic reactions as follows:

Traumatic Reactions:                                    Resources:

Shaking, trembling                                         Sighing

Numbing                                                         Grounding

Hypervigilance                                     Lengthening the spine

Agitation, anxiety                                           Hand on the heart                                 

Collapse                                                         Movement, gesture                                           

Tensing, armoring                                          Orienting

Freezing                                                          Relaxing shoulder

Types of Somatic-Based Psychotherapeutic Interventions

• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: combines traditional talk therapy techniques with body-centered interventions such as mindfulness, movement, and body awareness exercises, facilitating the integration of fragmented traumatic experiences.

• Somatic Experiencing: focuses on releasing stored energy from traumatic experiences. It emphasizes body awareness and the gradual release of physical tension.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): uses bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements, tapping, etc.) and engages the body in the healing process to help reprocess traumatic memories and make new connections, ultimately reducing the distress associated with trauma.

• Neurofeedback Therapy: involves using electronic monitoring devices to provide real-time feedback on physiological functions (e.g., heart rate, brainwave activity) thereby helping individuals gain awareness and control over physiological processes, reducing the impact of trauma, and allowing conscious control over certain cognitive processes.

• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): combines mindfulness meditation with body awareness practices promoting a non-judgmental awareness of bodily sensations and emotional states, self-regulation, and reducing symptoms of trauma.

• Brain spotting: is an emerging treatment method that works by identifying, processing and releasing core neurophysiological sources of emotional/body pain, trauma, and dissociation.

Somatic Interventions Help with Trauma’s Effects on the Body

Trauma can have profound effects on the body by influencing brain function, stress response systems, and affecting a person's physical and mental health and overall quality of life. The body can be engaged in healing from trauma by using somatic interventions. By practicing somatic intervention techniques and participating in somatic-based psychotherapies, individuals can release stored trauma, regulate their nervous systems, and foster long-term healing.

Sources:

National Institute of Health:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14728094/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8418154/

American Psychological Association: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-09004-002

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute

“The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel Van Der Kolk (2014)

✓ Medically Reviewed By Casey Merrill LPC-MHSP