| The word 'trauma' originates from the Greek 'wound', | | | | to react (stressfully) to the original stimulus, or similar |
| and it is commonly defined as being of psychological or | | | | ones. This is the case for PTSD sufferers. Because |
| physical nature. Trauma occurs as a result of an | | | | the human body is not prepared to maintain stressful |
| event, and it has deep roots in various levels of the | | | | status continually, side effects will appear. These |
| human mind and behaviour. In a world with excessive | | | | effects are both physiological (Coronary Heart |
| reasons to experience a traumatic event, | | | | Disease, ageing acceleration, etc) and psychological |
| understanding this condition may be the key approach | | | | (fear, avoidance, etc). |
| to combat its symptoms. | | | | This explains the occurrence of PTSD in war veterans |
| The Causality of Trauma | | | | (individuals who were exposed to stress over a long |
| Psychological trauma is a broad concept, and its origins | | | | period of time) and accident survivors (individuals who |
| are co-related with two well-know mechanisms of the | | | | were exposed to a highly stressful and traumatic |
| human mind: stress and memory. In order to fully | | | | situation). |
| understand this relationship, we'll briefly explain these | | | | Combating Trauma: Current Treatments |
| two processes: | | | | The effects of trauma may vary greatly among |
| Stress | | | | people. The extent, frequency and intensity of each |
| Albeit commonly associated with negativeness, stress | | | | event are presented according to each person's mind |
| is an evolutionary advantage. The stress triggering | | | | frame and previous experiences - and because |
| mechanism allows most people to react to dangerous | | | | traumatic events are cumulative over life, it can be |
| situations prior to consciously detecting it. The level of | | | | quite difficult to provide a treatment that comprises all |
| a stress response generally dictates the intensity of | | | | problems derived from separate traumas. |
| psychological trauma in an individual. | | | | Most people adapt to trauma in their lives, and through |
| Primarily, the Hypothalamus (region of the brain | | | | the extinction process, do not experience much |
| responsible for controlling the Autonomic Nervous | | | | psychological harm derived from past events. |
| System) identifies a stressor (an event which triggers | | | | However, for patients with PTSD, and other |
| stress) and automatically prepares the body to react | | | | stress-triggered conditions, the situation requires further |
| to that event. This is done through sending signals to | | | | attention. |
| both the ANS and the Pituitary Gland (limbic system) - | | | | Currently, most treatments for PTSD are based in |
| which in turn, activate a 'response mechanism' by | | | | psychotherapy, introspection and conditioning. These |
| stimulating body organs to change their regular activity. | | | | treatments attempt to identify the major traumatic |
| This response mechanism is identified by: increase of | | | | events or associations which are predominant in the |
| blood pressure, heart rate, sugar levels and re-direction | | | | individual's life: |
| of blood flow to major organs. The body also | | | | Cognitive Behaviour Therapy |
| improves respiration by dilating air passages, stopping | | | | CBT is a form of psychotherapy which works in the |
| digestion in order to direct focus (energy) to other | | | | perspective of the individual towards a memory and |
| parts of the body and increasingly producing adrenaline | | | | traumatic event. By working the way the person |
| (epinephrine). | | | | perceives that event, therapists believe that the |
| All these processes transpire in a few seconds - and | | | | trauma can be coped with. This form of treatment is |
| they were particularly 'designed' to increase survival | | | | recommended by the World Health Organisation and it |
| chances either by challenging a situation, or by | | | | is widely used to combat PTSD symptoms. |
| escaping from it. | | | | Debriefing |
| Memory | | | | A single section-based treatment which occurs shortly |
| Memory and trauma are interrelated processes - | | | | after the traumatic event. The debriefing process |
| without the memory of a traumatic event, | | | | evolves on the 'traumatized' individual's verbal |
| psychological trauma is inexistent. In addition, memory | | | | expression of the event. It is suggested that by 'letting |
| also plays an active role in the incidence and intensity | | | | out' those memories and feelings, the person is more |
| of stressful responses. | | | | unlikely develop suppressed emotions, which reduces |
| Once stress is triggered by an event (a stressor), the | | | | the effects of trauma. Debriefing is widely used for |
| prefrontal cortex (region of the brain responsible for | | | | professionals that deal with traumatic events on a daily |
| decision-making) promptly receives a message from | | | | basis (e.g. paramedics). |
| the limbic system. This process instigates the | | | | Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing |
| assessment of the situation by higher functions of the | | | | This treatment is based in a psychophysiological |
| mind. | | | | approach. According to the theory, the overload of |
| If the situation does not constitute danger, the stressing | | | | emotions derived from traumatic events interferes |
| mechanism will gradually shut down and the body will | | | | with the individual's information processing episode. |
| return to normal functioning. | | | | That interference, in a physiological level, produces |
| If the situation reflects danger, the individual will need to | | | | 'flawed' pathways of memory retrieval, which in turn, |
| decide what to do - and in that process - the | | | | results in the non-logical perception of the event. For |
| amygdala (a part of the limbic system which plays a | | | | instance, a victim of rape, albeit aware that the fault |
| key role in human emotions, particularly fear) directs | | | | was of the perpetrator, continually invokes self-blame |
| the hippocampus (a central region of human memory) | | | | for the incident. The process of desensitisation and |
| to imprint that information differently from other events. | | | | reprocessing would serve to reprogram those |
| This long-term storage of the memory is explained by | | | | pathways, resulting in the extinction or partial extinction |
| its emotionally attached significance. | | | | of negative symptoms. |
| Such mechanism is another 'smart' human feature. | | | | Combating Trauma: A New Approach |
| Next time the same stressor (or similar) is identified, | | | | The issue of trauma has generated several different |
| that memory will be instantly retrieved in order to | | | | treatment approaches. While some researchers focus |
| assist in the individual's reaction. At a subconscious | | | | in the psychological processes, such as psychotherapy |
| level, there will be an overstressed response to the | | | | and conditioning, others are studying the possibility of |
| event. At a conscious level, comparison and previous | | | | tackling the problem at a physiological level. This division |
| experience will induce better decision making. | | | | of focus has caused much discussion in this field, and |
| The Effects of Trauma | | | | each individual's pool of experience complicates the |
| Trauma is inevitable in our lives. From the birth of a | | | | process of targeting the causes of a trauma, and |
| child, to all stages of its development - traumatic | | | | particularly to define the extent of one single event. |
| events are common and also part of the 'human | | | | A new proposition attempts to provide the solution at |
| experience'. However, the level of trauma caused by | | | | a molecular level. Increased research in the field of |
| an event dictates the short and long-term effects of | | | | memory, particularly the formation and storage |
| that occurrence. | | | | processes, is instigating scientists to develop this new |
| For instance, trauma can be related to several mental | | | | approach. This time, instead of taking a passive stance |
| illnesses. Conditions such as Schizophrenia, Depression, | | | | towards the development of a trauma, researchers |
| and Bipolar Disease can be triggered by traumatic | | | | are intending to eliminate the most prominent element |
| events. One condition in particular, is directly related to | | | | of the trauma: the event itself. |
| trauma: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). | | | | The idea is to administer beta-blockers to act in the |
| Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | | | | molecular level of memory formation. Beta-Blockers |
| PTSD occurs when an individual develops a set of | | | | are commonly used drugs to control blood pressure |
| behaviours and reactions based on a traumatic event. | | | | (hypertension). They block the action of epinephrine |
| The traumatic experience interferes with normal | | | | (adrenaline) and norepinephrine, which slows the heart |
| functioning, causing the affected person to present | | | | rate. This effect seems to dissociate stress with |
| avoidance behaviour (avoid activities, people, context, | | | | traumatic memories by 'reducing' that memory to a |
| or other things that can associate with the trauma). | | | | regular response level. |
| This condition can occur at any age and traumatic | | | | This 'reduction' would result in a varied pathway to |
| stress can be cumulative over a lifetime. Responses | | | | access a particular memory, invoking altered |
| to trauma include feelings of intense fear, helplessness, | | | | production of substances such as epinephrine and, in |
| and/or horror. This condition has roots in the relationship | | | | the end, a memory which does not cause |
| between stress, trauma and memory. | | | | overstressed responses in an individual suffering from |
| It is perceived that PTSDs are originated from a | | | | PTSD. |
| 'defect' in the brain memory processing functions. As | | | | However, this research, along with other similar |
| previously described, emotionally attached events are | | | | methods of combating PTSD at a molecular level, is |
| stored differently (at a 'deeper' level). These memories | | | | still in its infant stages. It has been suggested that this |
| include stressful and traumatic events, particularly | | | | procedure could affect other memories or memory |
| those which resulted in some kind of harm and | | | | retrieving processes and scientists have not been able |
| emotional distress to the person. | | | | to deny that possibility. |
| Upon the identification of the same stressor (or similar) | | | | Much discussion is expected for the next few months. |
| that caused a reaction for the previous situation, the | | | | According to Richard Glen Boire from the Center for |
| body would instantly trigger an overstressed response. | | | | Cognitive Liberty and Ethics (New Scientist - 03/12 |
| However, in most cases, the new event will not | | | | 2005), these kind of drugs should be available within 5 |
| constitute a threat. For instance, a noise could be a | | | | to 10 years. Further research in the field of memory |
| stressor from a situation in which a person ended up | | | | and general neuropsychiatry should also play a major |
| being assaulted. The same noise, or something similar, | | | | role in refining and expanding current evaluation of |
| could occur in other situations which are harmless. | | | | beta-blockers and their effects in the human mind. The |
| Unless that stressor is reinforced (results in danger | | | | "Human Connectome" project - a worldwide project |
| overtime), your brain will adapt to the stimulus and | | | | which aims to create a 4-dimensional map of neuronal |
| gradually reduce the stressful response. This process | | | | connections in our brain - is an example of those. |
| is called 'extinction' (Pavlov's theory). | | | | Subscribe to our FREE eZine. |
| If extinction fails to take place, the individual will continue | | | | |