Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD)

Trauma, whether it be from a singular event or repeated incidences, can have profound impacts on the brain and body. This is especially true when the brain develops around the trauma, such as in cases of childhood abuse and/or neglect. However, even in adulthood, significantly stressful/traumatic events can change both the function and structure of the brain. In fact, high amounts of a stress hormone called cortisol can actually kill neurons in the brain, particularly the hippocampus (responsible for learning and memory) and prefrontal cortex (responsible for higher-level thinking, planning, emotional regulation, and behavioral inhibition.

In some cases, the individual may develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which involves an array of symptoms such as hypervigilance, sensory sensitivity, difficulty relaxing, sleep concerns, and relational problems. However, excessive stress/trauma can affect our brains even without PTSD symptoms and can manifest in a wide variety of symptoms, challenges, and diagnoses.

Here at Peak Performance Institute, we work with a wide variety of individuals who have endured traumatic experiences, including military members and veterans, first responders (e.g., firefighters), rape and domestic violence survivors, and survivors of childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect.

GETTING TO THE ROOTS

For those with PTSD, there’s an over-arousal of the limbic system and sympathetic nervous system. These two systems are largely involved in the body’s fight-flight-freeze response to fearful stimuli. However, with PTSD, this response is triggered even when no present danger exists. Two key structures of the limbic system responsible for this are the amygdala, the region that helps us to process emotions, and the hippocampus, which is involved in memory processing and consolidation.

Brain imaging of those with trauma histories often show increased activity within the amygdala (related to emotions) and a smaller hippocampus (related to learning and memory). While an individual with PTSD may be able to rationally recognize they aren’t in danger, the emotional, fear-based areas of the brain are essentially over-powering the more logical, thinking areas. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it initiates physiological responses commonly associated with PTSD, like faster heart rate, sweating, and shallow breathing.

WHAT WE CAN DO

• • Sensors are placed on the scalp to measure brainwave activity.
  • The patient receives audio and visual feedback, such as changes in a movie or video game, that reflect their brainwave patterns.
  • This provides the brain with the information it needs to self-correct and form healthier, more balanced patterns.
  • This process can help shift a patient from a hyper-aroused (“fight-or-flight”) state to a calmer one.
• Key types for PTSD:
  
  • Alpha-theta training: Guides the patient into a relaxed, meditative state to process traumatic memories at a deeper, subconscious level.
  • Infra-low frequency (ILF) training: Focuses on the slowest brainwaves to stabilize the nervous system and reduce hyperarousal. 

• How it works:
  
  • A therapist guides the patient through an eight-phase treatment, recalling the traumatic event in small doses.
  • Simultaneously, the patient engages in bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, alternating tones, or tapping.
  • This process is believed to help the brain make new associations and process the “stuck” traumatic memory.
  • As the memory is reprocessed, its painful intensity subsides, allowing the individual to form a more neutral memory of the event.
• EMDR and neurofeedback together:
  
  • Combining these therapies can provide a synergistic effect. Neurofeedback helps regulate the nervous system from the “bottom-up” (at the brain level), while EMDR is a “top-down” approach that reprocesses psychological material.
  • This can help prepare a patient for the intense memory reprocessing involved in EMDR by ensuring they stay within their “window of tolerance”.

• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Teaches individuals to evaluate and change the upsetting beliefs and thoughts that developed after a traumatic event.
• Prolonged Exposure (PE): Involves gradually and safely facing trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that have been avoided since the trauma. This helps decrease PTSD symptoms by confronting the source of distress.
• Written Exposure Therapy (WET): An alternative where patients write about their traumatic experience over five sessions, which can lead to similar results as other trauma-focused therapies. 

• Somatic Experiencing (SE): A body-oriented approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine that focuses on restoring the body’s natural ability to regulate itself after a traumatic event.
  
  • Techniques include: Titration (revisiting trauma in small, manageable doses), pendulation (moving between states of arousal and calm), and grounding exercises.
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Integrates sensory and motor aspects of experience into traditional talk therapy.
• Other somatic techniques:
  
  • Breathwork: Uses specific breathing exercises to regulate the nervous system and calm the body’s stress response.
  • Movement therapy: Uses physical movement to release stored tension and emotions, improving body awareness and control.
  • Grounding: Simple techniques, like focusing on the sensation of your feet on the ground, that help an individual stay present and manage feelings of overwhelm or dissociation. 
  • Bilateral Tapping: Tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), is a practice that involves tapping on acupressure points on the face and body while focusing on a stressful memory or feeling, which helps calm the nervous system and reduce distress associated with PTSD. The technique combines elements of acupuncture, acupressure, and self-help to send soothing signals to the brain, which can lower stress hormones and alleviate symptoms like anxiety and panic attacks. While considered complementary to other therapies such as CBT and EMDR, it is a self-applicable tool that can provide rapid relief during emotional activation.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS