When faced by danger, the primitive survival part of our brain overrides the thinking part of our brain, sounding an alarm so we can protect ourselves from danger. The normal survival responses are fight, flight or freeze. Following a traumatic event, your brain can stay in survival mode and the alarm can keep on ringing. This can make it difficult to use the thinking part of your brain to make sense of trauma.
The video below is a 5-minute animation created by London trauma specialists to train professionals in understanding trauma. It provides a helpful explanation of how trauma can affect the brain and memories.
In this video, the narrator gives examples of some traumatic experiences. Please be aware that these can be triggering for some people.
