Childhood Trauma and The Adult Nervous System As Understood Through the Polyvagal or Neural Lens
Trauma creates changes in the brain that can trigger the fight-or-flight (sympathetic mode) or the freeze-or-fawn response (survival mode) in the autonomic nervous system. If left unresolved, the nervous system can get stuck in these states between hypervigilance and shut down that can remain over-activated for decades after the event.
Over time, this process can lead to neurological changes and dysfunction where individuals feel the inability to shake the trauma hold on their physical as well as psychosocial development. We will look to vagal regulation and neuroplasticity to heal unresolved trauma and restore safety in the body.
As a child, when you experience a traumatic event, it frequently goes unaddressed. Unless you had trauma-informed parents that were aware of the long-term impacts of trauma, you likely had to move forward and shake it off. Unfortunately, unresolved trauma can get stuck in the physical body and establish a dysfunctional and negative loop in the nervous system. While the event may be over, the impacts of a traumatic experience can live on in your body for decades.
Research shows that adults who had traumatic experiences in childhood are more likely to experience neurological dysfunction as they get older.
This article will explain what trauma is, why it doesn't always resolve on its own, how Brain Harmony uses vagal regulation and neurological organization to heal unresolved trauma, and how to give yourself a vagal break when you’re experiencing trauma or triggers.
What Is Trauma?
Defining trauma is complex because it can show up differently for everyone, and the triggers that cause trauma are also unique to the individual. The American Psychological Association defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event, like an accident, rape/sexual assault, or natural disaster. The trauma responses can be acted out in physical, mental, emotional, chemical and sexual ways, after the event, for an indefinite and sometimes infinite amount of time.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like violence, abuse, and growing up with family members that have mental health or substance abuse problems can set the stage for problems later in life. The stress that these events cause can change brain development and affect how your body responds to stress[*].
Biologically, trauma has been shown to impact the brain's limbic system, which is responsible for behavioral and emotional responses. It's involved in the autonomic nervous system response that we feel when we sense danger. In other words, our survival instinct.
Trauma also affects the activity of what's known as your hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in the brain. Your HPA axis is a complex system of neuroendocrine pathways which are meant to maintain the homeostasis of your body and nervous system. It helps you manage stress and modulates the stress hormone cortisol. Abnormal development of this system can lead to alterations in behavioral and autonomic functions in adulthood, with unstable cortisol levels[*].
Dr. Stephen Porges’ polyvagal theory provides additional perspective that the autonomic nervous system has “multiple” ways to respond under life-threatening traumatic events.
Fight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn - all innate reactions to trauma
With the incorporation of the polyvagal theory, we can now look at our defense system with more insight. The four evolutionary states brought on by stress or danger include:
Fight
The "fight" response is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. This is in line with the traditionally understood adaptation for a human to kick their survival instincts into high-gear in the face of danger or perceived danger.
In the fight response, your heart rate will increase, breathing will become heavier, and your blood will move from your internal organs to your limbs so you can fight off your predator and protect yourself. Emotionally, when you're in fight mode, you can be angry, irritated, and rageful.
Flight
In the "flight" response, your body will shift into sympathetic mode much the same as "fight." The major difference here is that instead of anger being your driving emotion, fear will take the reigns along with worry, anxiety, and sometimes even terror.
In flight, you aren't interested in fighting off the danger; you want to avoid and flee the scene.
Freeze (enter: dorsal vagal activation)
The freeze response is a hybrid between sympathetic mode and dorsal vagal activation. This is where the latest research is beginning to stray from the classic sympathetic vs. parasympathetic model.
In freeze, your body is activated by both sympathetic and dorsal vagal mode. While fear is still a driving emotion, the desire to run or fight is overshadowed by a sense of immobilization coming from dorsal vagal activation. It can be somewhat confusing when you see someone in freeze mode because their lack of outward aggression or anxiety may lead you to believe that they are calm, when in fact, they are immobilized and/or simply stunned and numb[*].
Fawn (full dorsal vagal shutdown)
In fawn mode, you are immediately acting to try to avoid any conflict. When the fawn, aka as fold, response is activated, you have exited sympathetic mode and entered complete dorsal vagal shutdown. You are no longer looking for ways to survive (fight or flight) and instead enter a state of physical and emotional collapse.
In this state of overwhelm, you may experience absent-mindedness, dissociation, and depersonalization. In extreme cases, you may even pass out or lose consciousness. But unfortunately the “please and appease” part of ourselves sometimes can keep us in the trauma bond of a family or relationship, despite these extreme and dangerous reactions.
While the flight-or-flight mode is well known and understood, there are gems of perspective in understanding additional responses of the autonomic nervous system with the freeze or fawn response.
It can be very helpful for a victim to understand that the reason they did not yell, fight back or flee to get help during an attack, is biological and evolutionary, and is not because they did something wrong or that they somehow invited the event.
This evolutionary trait to flip the survival mode switch into freeze mode is actually intended to help us survive a life threatening event, by shutting down the nervous system in protection, including dropping metabolic rate which can immobilize the body.
This immobilization can include all the muscles of the face and the vocal production chords so when in grave danger, one may be unable to produce sounds required to verbalize “No! Stop! Help!”. If the individual is immobilized, they are unable to give consent to the act.
The good news is that while survival responses are automatic hardwired responses, with neuroplasticity we can expand our conscious control and accelerate our ability to push the brakes on survival states. This is how we rewire and break free of the trauma hold on our nervous systems required for prevention of future immobilization responses and break the negative loops caused by unresolved states.
The Link Between Neurological Health and Trauma
Research shows that people who experience trauma have a higher rate of neurological and psychiatric issues. This should come as no surprise, given the impact that trauma can have on the brain biologically.
In a research study conducted by the American Academy of Neurology, investigators found that people with neurologic conditions like stroke, headache, and epilepsy were more likely to have experienced abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction as children.
Furthermore, people with a history of trauma were seven times more likely to have high depression scores and four times more likely to have high anxiety scores[*].
Scientists explain that this connection is likely due to the changes in neurological function from the development phase, along with the long-term impact of trauma. When you have a traumatic experience, it can cause your body to produce more adrenaline and cortisol, which activates the fight or flight response. If someone has unresolved trauma, this response can get turned on when no real threat is present. This may contribute to long-term emotional and behavioral health problems[*].
Furthermore, HPA axis dysregulation, which is a key biological trait of trauma, has been linked to mental health issues like major depressive disorder, anxiety, and schizophrenia[*].
All of this data gives us an idea of how the long-term effects of trauma may directly impact neurological health physically and mentally.
Other Health Implications of Unresolved Trauma
In addition to the direct neurological changes that can happen with trauma, research shows that other health conditions may also develop over time. It's suggested that the emotional impact of trauma may lead to the development of unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance abuse, smoking, overeating, and other harmful habits[*].
This may explain why traumatic events in childhood have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and decreased life expectancy[*].
In one study, researchers found that an adverse childhood family environment was significantly associated with the incidence of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality later in life[*].
Other research shows that trauma may increase the likelihood of developing diabetes. This is especially true for those that are genetically predisposed. In one study, women with the highest number of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) symptoms had a nearly 2-fold increased risk of type 2 diabetes than women with no trauma exposure. These women were also at a greater risk of developing obesity[*][*].
Other conditions linked to trauma experiences include chronic lung diseases, liver disease, viral hepatitis, liver cancer, autoimmune diseases, and sexually transmitted infections[*].
How is Brain Harmony different in their approach to healing unresolved trauma?
The conventional medical model’s approach to healing trauma typically involves cognitive therapy and pharmaceuticals. This includes remembering and verbalizing the details, emotional responses and circumstances surrounding the events, intended to help you understand how it is impacting you today and give you strategies to manage your responses after you leave the office.
However, due to neuroplasticity of the brain, there are other approaches to healing trauma using different mediums like sound frequencies, bone conduction and alpha waves, that can provide an accelerated reset to the autonomic nervous system that controls your physiological response to the trauma. In other words, without words.
We do not focus on the details of what specifically happened, or the verbal processing of the traumatic memories; rather we teach you how to use different mediums to reset and restore neurological safety to your nervous system. Many adults feel they have plateaued in their talk therapy sessions without feeling as they have dropped the weight of the trauma.
These clients have cathartic change in our program because cognitive therapy alone fails to address the underlying autonomic and physical dysregulation, which is needed to fully recover from trauma.
This is why the first step in our 5-step process is to work on vagal regulation using a researched-backed programs below:
At Brain Harmony, vagal regulation can involve multiple listening programs, bone conduction and/or the use of alpha waves. A favorite listening program we offer includes Dr Porge’s Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP).
The SSP is a listening program that offers music with therapeutic value, through headphones, that can pass through the tympanic membrane (eardrum) in your ear and reach the anatomical structure of the vagus nerve. From here, this input can regulate all kinds of autonomic responses like heart rate, breathing, digestion. Most importantly, this is how we awaken the social portal of human engagement that is a signature of vagal regulation.
While all clients are candidates for the SSP, be sure to take our quiz and schedule a consult to learn more.
While the SSP is a fantastic option for a short 5-10 hour listening experience, most require rewiring using a listening program over several months time frame with the use of the iLs Focus Learning System, which relies on sound, bone conduction and movement to change the brain and autonomic nervous system responses.
Another neuroplastic tool we use to enhance feelings of safety and calm in the body is with the Alpha-Stim. The Alpha-Stim device is light cranial electrical stimulation through the use of ear clips that attach to your earlobes. The Alpha Stim generates a patented alpha waveform (which is why we choose this one over other vagal stimulators) that works on a cellular level by enhancing alpha waves in your brain. Alpha waves create a sense of calm as they relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia -- giving your nervous system a much-needed break from the hectic input of a traumatized brain. It can truly change your quality of life.
Once you feel neurologically safe, then we can teach the brain new ways of responding to stress and other stimuli, training your brain to build new, healthier connections and responses.
Please note that we recommend Brain Harmony specially-trained therapists to recommend which tool will fit you best, the level at which you should be working, and which combination suits your conditions.
Take our quiz to find out which aspects of your nervous system have been impacted; there are often additional underlying conditions as a result of trauma - anxiety, insomnia and depression, for example. Our quiz will help determine that combination and you will be provided with a summary in a report. In the report, you’ll be able to schedule a free consult to discuss the best plan for you and/or your family members with a therapist.
We mentioned the immediate steps above that you can take if you’re in a state of FFFF or aftershock of trauma or triggers. However we can also help long term. If the long-term impact of trauma could be summed up into one phrase, it would be nervous system dysfunction. Whether we're referring to the physical changes in the brain, the resulting fight or flight activation, or the long-term harmful coping mechanisms, it all comes back to feeling dysregulated and imbalanced in the nervous system.
At the core of the downstream effects of trauma is a need to feel safe in the world. Not just from an emotional level, but from a physical and biological level. The need to get to the root of the nervous system imbalances is why talk therapy alone doesn't work for many trauma patients. We can't try to reason our way out of our autonomic nervous system habits.
This is what makes Brain Harmony a perfect ally for resolving trauma. We work with you through our unique process by starting with the root of your nervous system imbalances. Real changes in thought processes and behavior can't happen until you feel physiologically safe.
Research shows that when it comes to trauma, one of the most crucial biological components to work with regularly is your vagus nerve. In fact, in an animal model, researchers found that enhancing vagal tone was key to dialing down a trauma response and the extinction of trauma behaviors[*].
When you build up strength in your vagus nerve by listening to the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), you become more resilient to stress and begin to feel safer in your surroundings. In this way, regulation of the vagus nerve is the ultimate way to enhance your mind-body connection. It’s truly a wonderful tool, although not all clients are candidates for the SSP, so be sure to take our quiz and schedule a consult to learn more.
Another tool that we use to enhance feelings of safety and calm is the Alpha-Stim. The Alpha-Stim device is attached to your earlobes and generates a patented alpha waveform that works on a cellular level by enhancing alpha waves in your brain. Alpha waves create a sense of calm as they relieve anxiety, depression, and insomnia -- giving your nervous system a much-needed break from the hectic input of a traumatized brain. It can truly change your quality of life.
Once you feel neurologically safe, then you are more prepared for the deeper organization to come. We can teach your brain new ways of responding to stress and other stimuli, training your brain to build new, healthier connections.
Please note that we recommend going through Brain Harmony for any of these tools; as one size does not fit all, and you’ll need a specialized therapist to walk you through which tool fits you best, the level at which you should be working, and which combination suits your combination of conditions.
Take our quiz to find out which aspects of your nervous system have been impacted; there are often additional underlying conditions as a result of trauma - anxiety, insomnia and depression, for example. Our quiz will help determine that combination and then you’ll be able to schedule a free consult to discuss the best plan for you and/or your family members.
Testimonials
Charles’ Brain Harmony Trauma Resolution Success
Charles had been struggling with severe trauma from his childhood, which dictated much of his human experience, until he experienced vagal-regulating aspects of our program. In his own words, Charle’s expresses his transformation beautifully.
“The waves come through, but I let them pass by.
I am neither in a hyper-state or in collapse, which was my old state of existence.
I have learned better practices and they are sticking. I am more able to follow through with my meditation.
I’m realizing that stuff I thought was me is not me, but more like a habituated response.
It is bringing things up in my counseling sessions which are now more productive.
As my body resets, I can clear things from my system. The trauma construct is dislodging.
I am a witness to it.”
Kirk's Brain Harmony Success Story
Growing up with complex trauma, Kirk had extreme difficulties with communication, anxiety, and managing everyday tasks. After researching Polyvagal theory and discovering Brain Harmony's protocols, Kirk was excited about the prospect of a program that has helped those who were nonverbal their whole life begin to speak. He began the Safe and Sound Protocol and soon realized it would allow him to unlock the life he had always imagined for himself.
"Growing up with complex trauma is just beyond any ability to communicate, and especially in the past few months, I'm comfortable enough with myself that I don't mind another person seeing whatever happens to come up in the course of a conversation, and that would have almost been science fiction to me a couple of years ago."
If you are struggling with unresolved trauma, there is real recovery that can bring regulation to your nervous system and profoundly accelerate your healing journey. Contact Brain Harmony today for a Free Consultation to see if our approach is right for you.