The treatment of trauma can be some of the most complex work practitioners face.
And for years, this challenge was complicated by not having a clear picture of the impact that trauma has on the brain.
But scientific advances within just the past few years have opened the eyes of practitioners to what actually happens in the brain of someone who has experienced trauma.
And according to Bessel van der Kolk, MD, there are three major ways that the brain changes in response to trauma.
To find out what they are (and their impact on the body), take a look at the video below – it’s just 3 minutes.
Bessel is one of the world’s leading experts in trauma and PTSD. Because of his research, we have a deeper understanding of how trauma impacts both body and brain.
And this is crucial – it can help us target our interventions more effectively.
So now, we’d like to hear from you . . .
When it comes to the treatment of trauma, what do you want to know most? Please leave your comment below.
How can I get this help? I live on Long Island in NY?
Hem… I most want to know WHO did it to me! I was sexually abused, at age 7, maybe more than once, I don’t remember ANYTHING clearly. I would want to retrieve my full memory and be able to work on clearing that event(s) and learn to live my life better. Its kinda late, as I am now 66!… BUT it’s benn bugging my mind and emotions all those years, almost 60 now!
I had come, thru an Nth therapy, to pinpoint that it REALLY is at seven that I was abused, and that it was REALLY through sexual abuse. That was done through hypnosys, at the end of a year-long weekly therapy, by the best psycholopgist I had met so far. BUT: he was at the end of his carreer, took his retirement and it took me a while to digest this solid realisation. Three years, that took me, then I was ready to dig more again. But he had moved away and was not available anyore, even if he, for maybe a year or two he had pursued with a couple of his cliets for maybe a year and a half after his official retirement.
I feel that I have taken numerous poor decisions in my life AND refrained from deciding anything and just be like a leaf in the wind, mostly due to the extremelly nagging ignorance of who did that to me. I had a number of ”suspects” for the crime, but most are now dead.
Anyway, I am alive and not always sure it’s a good thing.
VERY VERY TIRING! I am subject to narcolepsy, maybe a light degree of it, but still distr=urbing, eventually dangerous, like when I am driving. I dont take chances anymore. At the first sign of it, I stop the car and take a rest.
Plus feeling like a stranger in my own family (siblings).
Thank God, He sent me my second wife!
To learn to make connection with people and learn to trust again people and myself
Can I just point out something really obvious please? The brain IS part of the body. However, it is not the mind, and you cannot conclusively say that the mind is only in the brain – especially given interoception, plus the roles of the heart and stomach which both have neurons in them.
Please stop pretending that the brain isn’t part of the body – it’s a biological structure like all the other organs.
This sounds all so true. I know that.
I have been in a japanese concentration camp and working as a hypnotherapist I did a lot of regressions aso for myself.
I know my Chi is not working as it should and I do biofontherapy since I have Lyme now.
This also has to do with big trauma and energy flow.
I wish I had a good therapist in the Netherlands now since I am my own therapist now.
I am also reading Levine on bodywork.
What a beautiful science altogether. I still hope to get better everyday.
Thanks.
Love
Erica
I was assaulted by my partners teenage daughter who had been living with us for three months!
She has a personally disorder which I was trying to get her treatment for, she now has a youth caution and hopefully will take the help that’s on offer for her now as the system let her down.
My Partner of four years walked out on me and left me covered in blood in the garden after his Daugther assaulted me so I’ve had a double whammy of the grief process etc
One of the things that I balk at is statements such as X “changes the brain”: life is fluid and our brains no less so: EVERYTHING changes the brain structure in some way or another…and it isn’t only the brain that is changed/changes, constantly; the whole organism is in constant flux. Our current fixation on “The Brain” seems to ignore this. I’d be very interested to hear more about cerebellar function too.
Thanks again Ruth!
What is the next step?
Using NLP and Hypnosis we have created a program called Reconciliation of Traumatic Memories RTM protocol and in a few sessions we simply target the most extreme PTSD issues and find great relief in our clients.
All this and no medications, which totally flies in the face of our pharmaceutical mindset, however, the results are significant enough that even the US Government is applying this to returning Vets to help them recover and adjust to life state-side.
We know the brain can change itself to accommodate traumatic memories, so it can and does change itself all the time.
With Kelly’s comments below, what’s the next step? There is a next step – and it’s beyond tablets and medication
The residual anxiety, tension, sleep loss, depression, are all secondary defence mechanisms as the brain is trying to protect you from feeling those trauma based experiences again.
I’m so glad that research on a medical level is identifying that there is actual BRAIN CHANGES in PTSD, and now we can move to helping.
Just Like the Fast Phobia Cure, in NLP – it was at one time believed that “One Trial Learning” events were permanent and nothing could be done to change it. Now we know in just about 20 minutes, we can resolve these conflicts.
It is doable, and I work with clients in this area daily. Have faith, as science uncovers the acceptance that these changes are indeed happening, we’re already working in the field on the other side – recovery.
What is NLP? Do you know anyone who is practicing Reconciliation of Traumatic Memories protocol near NYC or even Long Island, NY, where I live?
I’d like to help a person get to the point where they can feel again; where they are beginning to and able to feel the pleasure, excitement, etc; also, in working with DID, how does hypnosis work best?
Using Hypnosis have the client follow the feeling back to it’s origins. Often the origins of the feeling is not in the memory recall, but instead stored in the brain as a reference point. EG: When using hypnosis clients uncover their phobic fear of flying is not the most recent turbulent flight, but something that happened when they were six or seven years old. And when we unpack that moment, and resolve the conflict, allowing the deep unconscious to do all the work for them, they don’t have that same intense reference point. it’s changed in the brain as a reference, and even when referencing the recent uncomfortable flight, the client doesn’t feel the same intensity. (charge, panic, reaction)
Can it resolve that easily? yes, Does it come back? No. if you have resolved the initial creation of the problem then the subsequent accumulative experiences do not fall on the same trauma. They begin to dissipate and they do so rapidly. Clients say “I just don’t feel the same way about it”,
Knowing many people are traveling by air and it’s actually the safest way, doesn’t change a thing for the flight phobic. However, the brain can change it for them. And really only their brain can do that – talking about it, reviewing the reasonable levels of why it shouldn’t bother them, just reinforces the charge.
If the brain can change to create a state, it can change to resolve it.
Id like no ive been diagnosed wit ptsd, serve panic disorder an social anixtey an serve panic attacks an house bound agreofobi how do u start treat these ive just been given tablets all time which doesnt work its destroying my life id really appreciate sum information as i went private till more ppl.an still suffering.
I want to know so how do you change or nix those 3 abnormal ways of functioning? Its great to hear about it so clearly but whats the next step after knowledge?
I am a life long survivor of multiple traumas, diagnosed at Brookline years ago with Complexx PTSD as well as Disociative Disorder and I feel my symptoms stronger as years go on instead of less.
Can you recommend any successful therapists or groupas since BTC wil not take Medicare and I need help?
Many thanks
“We are soul” Usually we say we have a soul, but this seems to be wrong.
The soul is wounded after a trauma, also after a attack of the brain, the soul is affected/wounded.
It takes a long time to recover from souldamage.
I have heard from several friends about the remarkable change of loved one’s after an attack of the brains. I remember from one of my brothers (a psychiatrist) who suffered from such an attack an operation was necessary. No change of character happened however. This points out the difference of soul-quality for recovery. In cosmic sense the soul = mind in his case is not wounded in spiritual sense.
Kids seem to be wounded in soul, may cause brain-damage. The patient seem to close their mind for any influence.
In cosmic sense the soul is related with the Sun. We (astrologers) take a look how the patient’s Sun is connected with planets in the birthchart. 180° 90° 135° are most difficult
I’m a massage therapist interested in working with clients suffering from PTSD. My primary question is if a client’s symptoms worsen or change after receiving bodywork, should I stop treatment? Or is it common for symptoms to flare up but then reduce over time?
I know another massage therapist already doing this kind of work and one of her clients started experiencing headaches, spaciness, tiredness, forgetfulness, etc. between trauma sessions. Is this normal? Is there a good way to explain it to the client? Or is this not good long term, and should treatment be stopped or modified?
I’m having a hard time finding information about possible side effects of various treatments and best practices for responding. Thank you in advance for any resources and assistance!
It would seem whenever you begin to work with the residual tension held in the body from a resulting trauma, its understandable it might feel worse to start. To me that’s the initial shift in the body. The body’s holding patterns for the trauma have been adjusted.
What might result in addition to the body releasing energy, is the client may have dreams, revisit some of the traumatic experiences too. This is the psyche releasing some of the trauma. I often forget to share with clients, following our sessions, that any dreams around the subject is the indication the unconscious is “house cleaning” the details and just let it go. Later they mention it, and I confirm, “all good”
When quitting smoking – lots of dreams of smoking again.
When adjusting addictions and addiction patterns – lots of reusing in the dreams sequences.
All good, the unconscious is clearing the residual patterns of behaviour. Would it be the same for doing the physical body work as well?
Thank you:)
Awesome info. Helps to understand.
My daughter and I have just affirmed a diagnosis of PTSD, and severe depressive disorder, recurrent (I inc for myself: TBI…This through brain scans at Amen clinics.
I’m certain my adult son has this as well.
This was due to domestic violence, and other trauma and loss (2 childrens death, husbands death)
Thank you, again
Catherine
How simple. How simply insightful. As a 66-year-old person with Complex-PTSD, this helps me enormously in studying my responses to life as it continues. My repeated and largest PTSD moments happened in my youth from ages 4 through 37. By the time I was 18, I’d been raped 5 different times, then was kidnapped and taken to Las Vegas for you know what. I got away untouched by the cleverness of my inner God and intelligence. Whew. My question is, is there any way that I. a layman, can help someone recently traumatized before actually getting them to a place or person of education and technical skill? Thank you very much for this series!
How to recover from depression after trauma and becoming suicidak instead of enjoying life. Emdr did not help.
I was finally diagnosed with PTSD (after numerous triggers leading up to my wedding resulted in a massive meltdown a day later.) – nearly 2 years ago. It had been a long time since I had had a meltdown and this was a biggy. I lashed out at my mother-in-law, who I love dearly, and was completely irrational. I was aware of my behaviour but at the time I feel powerless to stop it. Over the years I have behaved this way toward other friends and family but it had been a long time and I thought I had it under control. Apart from looking for triggers and being more aware of myself in a situation, I feel quite hopeless that I’ll ever really be healed of PTSD. I am an otherwise loving and caring person and want to have close relationships with people but I keep my distance, I go to church infrequently and struggle to commit even though I want to, I am just so scared that I am a ticking time bomb and I don’t want to hurt people. I love my family and I am a very loyal person. I have a wonderful, loving husband who makes me feel the safest I have ever been. There are only two people in my life that I feel truly safe with. Just so want to be free of this!
Have you looked at Dr. Amen’s methods of which specific areas of the brain are the dominant operant areas?
I would like to understand more about delayed physical responses to trauma.
Where are the responses from the doctor? Did I miss something? I’m very curious for answers and help.
My head trauma happened many years ago, due to a motor vehicle accident, when I was a child of 10 years old, and although I was unconscious for 2 weeks following the accident, I received no treatment except a hospital bed. My mother died in the accident. After regaining consciousness I was sent back to school and was expected to live as normal. I have lived a very difficult life, always expecting bad things to happen and although I have had counselling, I find I have no stamina, no resilience and cannot deal with stress. I have also had quite a bit of depression. Although it is too late to resolve this now as I am 69 years old, Is this the reason I have found life to be so difficult? I have been told I need to toughen up.
Look at other practitioners. Dr. Steve Amen has a method that can work in tandem with Dr. Van der kolk. Dr. Amen runs tests online based on many years of research. I hope that he and Dr. Van Der Kolk’s teams collaborate to bring the most cutting edge and innovative approaches to promotiing brain health and neuroplasticity!
Perhaps a shut down body leads to dead areas in the body and cancer. Maybe Capitalism is perpetuating the traumatized walking wounded that is leading to the rise in cancer, that and eating foods that may taste nice but are harmful to our bodies and the fact we are desensitized means that we dont know that.
Hi I’m really interested to know about if you can tell from the brain when someone has healed from PTSD. Does this look different from a person before PTSD? I believe I had a milder form of PTSD about 4 years ago, due to a trigger event of hearing my next door neighbour’s last moments of life before falling from a 2nd floor window (me and my housemate had called the police as we believed a domestic was going on next door however the police arrived 30 seconds to late, even though they couldn’t have been more than 11 minutes to respond and they later stated there was too little evidence to charge anyone with the fatality). For me this occurred the day after I was made redundant from a job I loved and recently after I’d developed asthma (which I’d never suffered from). Almost a year to the event and several other v. strange coincidences / events and a short spell in hospital due to an accident where I nicked myself and several weeks later got a life threatening infection & had to have an emergency operation, I started experiencing severe anxiety which at first I thought was the asthma. Eventually I was struggling so much I talked to my GP and had 1 initial session with a therapist however at the end it turned out it was just an assessment session and counselling wouldn’t start for another 8 weeks. To which I responded that I was aware of the constraints of the NHS however I couldn’t be in this state for 8 more weeks – could they recommend a book (which they wouldn’t). So I went to the nearest book shop and I started reading and reading and reading. The first book I found was thankfully Scott M. Peck The road less travelled. I read another one ‘from emotional chaos to clarity’ and then also one on ‘Post Traumatic Growth’. I also started meditation. Since then I’ve moved countries and I definitely know that I have healed and understand that this experience happened, was exceptionally hard at the time as I thought I was going crazy, I would rather that my neighbour had lived, yet it happened and I can’t change that. However despite the awfulness the amount of growth I have had as a person and the depth of understanding that I have about myself and trauma has given me insights and perspectives which I think have become invaluable and long term I’ve removed a lot of previously harmful internal thought habits and replaced them with more positive ones. So this is why I ask the question as I have no doubt that my brain changed on the day of my neighbours death, and there was a period where I was in the state mentioned in the clip – however I know that I am out of that space and feel that again I’m in a different but better place than before, so I’m wondering if brain scans can tell this too?
Hi, Worked as an RN for 20years….had a father in war II who had a bomb blow up by his head. I have had PTSD for years and years with not much in the way of relief. I just need help….Thanks,
What can I do to erase or cope with traumas from all my life? Any practical things?
I would most like to know how to heal my mind from trauma, how to stop my mind from constantly reliving it and how to deal with any future situations which could cause the same reaction.
Also, very importantly for me, how to forgive someone who caused me so much trauma.
Thanks so much for bringing us Dr. Van der Kolk’s wisdom. I am always looking for effective interventions to teach clients who have complex PTSD how to regulate their body mind.
I want to know:
– how trauma interfaces with 1) our physiology? and 2) our thoughts and beliefs? 3) fight & flight 4) sex & intimacy in the relationship after shock and trauma of infidelity?
– How can our thoughts and feelings be completely T-boned and hijacked by events? . Ie: when a happily married woman finds out her husband cheated? When everything gets side’swiped and changes in a flash.
– What happens in forgiveness? Is it accepting a person or event and then a Cascade of brainwaves chance the biology? What is the role wisdom plays and how does it interface with my brain to reframe the event? And How does forgiveness translate into happiness?
How do you cope when the therapist you trust breaks that trust & has sex with you? How do you cope when the next therapist you see has more problems than you do? How do you cope when a psychiatrist tells you there is no such thing as ‘blocked memories’? Screw it…..I took care if myself.
You report that therapist to the licensing board, as they have violated their ethics and YOUR boundary! Get another therapist, take time and use meditation and mindfulness!
That psychiatrist should be REMOVED from professional practice, prosecuted, and sued in civil court as well. He violated his ethics, ignored the oath he was required to take, and has MAJOR problems! Tell someone, tell everyone, who did this to you. I know, it happened to me as well. I suffered in silence for years and didn’t begin to really heal until I wrote about it in my book, and by then, he was dead.
Abuse of that nature by a mental health professionals is absolutely INTOLERABLE and INEXCUSABLE.
I’d be interested to know of effects /risks/ counter indications and potential overlaps between someone receiving hypnotherapy, cranial chiropractic and EMDR alongside talking therapy (CBT /relational / attachment based therapy). I have an accident victim/survivor with a background of serious relational neglect, abuse and therefore previously undisclosed trauma who is engaging in the latter with me (since a year) plus some aspects of emdr but she couldn’t handle it and she has lately sought help also by hypnotherapy with focus on present and cranial chiropractic. Thank you! Lynne ps these videos and reports are so excellent!
As a result of continuous traumas in my adult years, I have developed onset PTSD. It started as a child with sexual abuse and a dysfunctional family, and as the years wore on, poor and failed relationships were the norm. A destructive life pattern became evident. Eventually my coping mechanisms failed, and today, I continue to suffer from anxiety, emotional distress and PTSD. There are days I am tormented, and just can’t turn off my brain from reliving trauma. I remain single and live a simple stress free life, with clean living. It has been key to my recovery.
What constitutes Trauma?
I’m 50 and have had many abusive relationships. I am married for the fourth time and when we argue I get extremely defensive, yet I feel I manipulate the situation so that the thing we are arguing about is his fault. I find it hard to say sorry. Yet, I am. I feel like I deserve to be loved AND respected but yet I don’t like the person I see in the mirror.
I have just finished my Master’s of Social Work. I want to have my own private practice but how can I help myself when there is so many things wrong with me? Will I ever “get over” the past trauma I have lived? I’m also a recovering addict/alcoholic and have chronic pain from the injuries I have suffered in the past. I don’t feel strong enough to get out of bed some days but I push myself like I am trying to prove something to someone or my self. I never do good enough in my eyes. Help! I see a LMSW clinition but EMDR has made no difference! What are my options to get this behind me?
Best approaches for working with pre school children who have been exposed to trauma.. how can kindergarten teacher best help these children?
As a clinician who works with PTSD I found your theories about brain dysfunction reasonable. However, how do you explained delayed PTSD such as Holocaust Survivors or some war veterans?
Many Holocaust Survivors did not have time to think about what happened. In the camps/ living as a German/leaving Poland or Germany they had to keep working, moving, surviving. They had to build a new life after the war. There was no time to stop and process and deal with what was going on. Same with war veterans. It was necessary to act to survive at all costs. Many people relive their traumatic experiences when they retire, or when someone in the family becomes sick and goes to hospital. There is often fear of abandonment and second generations may be heavily involved in the hospital care (causing hospital staff to lable them as “difficult’ Instead of protective or caring). I have had extensive experience working with Holocaust Survivors.
Interestingly, often the thrid generation is able to help when doing a “Roots Project” at school. They ask the grandparent about the past and in this context it is a positive way to share while seeing the fruits of their struggle and hard work in their grandchildren. So it is a kind of reframing through interaction with their grandchilodren.
Thank You! My problems lay at the foot of the cross, but at very odd times, things come up..like an old man’s hands make me nauseous ( sexual abuse by my grandfather),or when someone raises their voice, my fight or flight comes up, even if they’re not speaking to me, or when I am trapped for a moment, beads of sweat former on my body and I feel like I’m going to pass out (locked in closet for long periods of time as a child)
How soon after a traumatic event would you start to treat trauma? There was a national disaster in my home town a month ago – a devastating fire wiped out many homes and holiday areas. Every single person in the town of 70000people was affected in some way. How does one help? (I am a Psychologist).
Thank you for this insightful knowledge about the brain and trauma and its treatment. I worked in a society where there had been repeated traumatic events years back. This left many hopeless and worthless. They never went through any psychological rehabilitation and have lost their ways into reality. Many grew up with these PTSD and are living unproductive lives.
What can still be done to help them? These events have left a scar in their brain. Is it still possible to help them through trauma treatment?
Can C-PTSD cure, or is it a long life adventure?
I was told that you’re never really cured, but you develop tools and skills to minimize and/or avoid triggers and form healthy ways to function.
It is a clear informative and easy to understand lecturette that I hope to share in classes and the clinic. The speakers were very good communicators in the important insights being shared. God bless you more in your valuable work.
Hello! How do I help my brother who is 60 years old ? He has been suffering since he was in his early 20’s after both my parents died. We thought they’d live until old age, of course but they died early. My brother didn’t treat them very well. He was in drugs then, not heavy but enough. He has regretted everything he did to them & missed them so much. He never had the time to apologize to them. I love him very much & it’s been breaking my heart ever since. 7 children & he was 5th oldest. What can I do to help him?
How to get someone to realize he’s been traumatized?
Does person centred counselling help ptsd
Read Gupta
Read Gupta!
How do we help in trauma recovery? Knowing what’s wrong is one thing, being able to help someone stuck in trauma is quite different. My adopted daughter struggles everyday with being misunderstood and everyday we see teachers, “friends”, coaches etc keep her stuck in the way they respond to her sometimes unexplainable behaviour. How does a 12 year old get help? Most therapists don’t even get this!
How to control anxiety …leaving the house ..facing new situations …social anxiety …travelling and unknown tasks and situations …that it manifests in feelings of life force depletion and panic …life as overload …
Also the effect of GABA in the brain ..does that influence anxiety attacks ..is it just a simple chemical reaction !?
I am trying to find a solution how not to have such strong impact on the body …
I found this video extremely interesting, particularly since I have experienced severe trauma throughout my life because of three misdiagnoses of schizophrenia, clinical depression and chronic anxiety. It was very difficult to cope, especially since I didn’t realise I had been misdiagnosed and felt the only way not to be further institutionalised was not to get help from professionals for fear of having to return to hospital. The most recent traumatic experience was that the antipsychotic medication that I shouldn’t even have been on in the first place, but was kept on for 56 years suddenly went off the market and I had to come off it cold turkey, and both my mind and body rebelled. I should be so grateful for any suggestions as to what treatment might help. I have always had a great zest for life, despite the problems, but this caused me to strive to survive. I am now writing a book to try to help others through my own experiences, and all the research I have done in recent years. It will be called HOPE RESTORED: A GUIDE TO EMBRACING THE STORMS OF DEVELOPMENTAL PTSD. I am so grateful to you all for clarifying many things for me. I’ve found that if a diagnosis doesn’t align with how you think, feel and act, it leads to further confusion. I knew that anxiety and depression were consequences of something much deeper, but in the end I had to do the research, self-diagnose and I gave my doctor Bessel von Kolk’s book, The body keeps the score, and he totally agrees that this explains so much which was before unexplainable. Thank you so much for bringing some clarity to my life.
I’m so sorry that you had to endure the pain you have. 4 little words have helped me greatly in dealing with the past. These four words are : “Is it happening now?” If it is the past, it is not happening now, and if you’re projecting into the future, it is not happening now. So 90% of what we think about or fret and lament about is NOT happening NOW so we can let the thought diminish completely and rest. The other tool I’ve used is listening to Brene Brown TedX talks and books on being who you were meant to be. Powerful, whole, and more than enough. When we take our focus off the issue, it deflates the power of that issue. The last piece is to connect with others who are moving forward, NOT groups or people looking back, where the pain is the focus.
If we are to thrive despite pain, we are to live with intention that the present and future is in our power to create. I also have a realistic and personal view of God and Him as my loving, protective father who thinks the world of me and has only good plans for me. It’s a wonderful way to live. blessings to you for permanent healing.
Jodi, I found that a loving personal relationship with God is also very very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
I have a 12 yo daughter from China that has had trauma and resulting PTSD. I’d like to have access to training to help her and my clients I work with. I’m a hypnotherapist practicing in Apple Valley MN.
Thank you very much!
Does the cycle of trauma ever end? Or must we continually manage our symptoms throughout life?