Humans are built to survive. For most of our history, the greatest threats we faced were physical, short-term attacks like being chased by a dangerous animal. Our bodies respond to such threats automatically, and we store memories of such events in a specific way in our brains. When we experience something which reminds us of this danger (a trigger), our brains flashback, a feeling that we are re-living the experience. In our modern world, these acute experiences can lead to PTSD symptoms. We are learning more and more about how long-term, perpetual stress (especially in childhood) also causes injuries within our brains, resulting in a different sort of flashback, an emotional flashback. This condition is knowns as cPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder). Chronic stress can impact every aspect of our lives, from our view of ourselves, to our relationships, to our place in society.

The good news is that trauma is not what happens to us, but what happens within us, meaning that we can access it and work to heal it. For acute traumas, we can “re-file” our memories so that remembering is no longer the same as re-living. To address chronic trauma, we can create new neural pathways that allow us to respond to situations and people in calmer, more secure, and more satisfying ways.