What happens to the brain
When exposed to Trauma
Have you ever wondered what's happening inside your brain when you're constantly exposed to stress and emotional turmoil? Let me break it down for you, because what you're experiencing isn't just in your head - it's literally changing your brain's chemistry.
Think about those moments when someone's yelling at you. Your heart races, your palms get sweaty, and your brain? It's flooding with stress hormones like cortisol. Over time, this isn't just uncomfortable - it's actually rewiring your neural pathways.
Living in constant chaos does something similar. Maybe your home environment is unpredictable, or your workplace feels like a battlefield. Your brain stays in this perpetual fight-or-flight mode, making it harder and harder to find calm. It's like having an alarm system that never turns off.
And then there's that feeling when you just can't control your emotions. One minute you're fine, the next you're crying or furious, and you don't know why. This isn't weakness - it's your brain's response to chronic stress and emotional abuse. Your emotional regulation center, the amygdala, becomes hyperactive while your rational thinking center struggles to keep up.
Walking on eggshells? That constant state of alertness, always trying to predict and prevent the next crisis? Yeah, that's training your brain to stay in survival mode. It's exhausting because your brain is literally working overtime, scanning for threats even when you're supposed to be relaxing.
You might notice yourself keeping busy all the time - taking on extra work, cleaning obsessively, never sitting still. This isn't just being productive; it's your brain's way of trying to cope, to avoid processing painful emotions or memories.
And then there's the shutdown - those moments when you just... go numb. Can't feel, can't think, can't respond. This is your brain's emergency brake, its last-resort protection mechanism when everything becomes too much.
But here's the thing - .With the right support, understanding, and perhaps professional help, you can create new neural pathways. You can teach your brain that it's safe to relax, to feel, to just be. The first step is recognizing what's happening - and now you know.