The effect of trauma on the brain

In 2011, I became a mother through adoption, and since then, I have established a business dedicated to supporting adoptive parents and carers who face challenges with their children.

Children can be difficult for various reasons. Some behaviors may be learned from their birth families, but it's more common that these children have experienced adversity both in the womb and in early life. As a result, they develop coping mechanisms that can make them controlling and hard to live with. A lack of stimulation during their formative years can also lead to underdevelopment of the limbic system, which may impair executive functioning and working memory, making it difficult for them to follow instructions or perform well in school.

Additionally, these children often become hypervigilant due to an overactive amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions.

Addressing this issue is critical, and organizations like the UK Trauma Council provide valuable insights into what trauma is and how it affects us. If not properly addressed, trauma can carry over into adulthood, impacting various aspects of life.

Trauma affects not only the brain but the entire body. In his book The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk discusses how our muscles can retain memories of traumatic experiences.

I recall massaging a woman’s leg, and she suddenly cried out. I hadn’t hurt her, but it turned out she had been skiing with her children years earlier, had fallen, and broken her leg. She had hidden her pain and emotions to avoid alarming her children. Years later, when I touched the spot where she had been injured, the trauma surfaced in her cry.

Movement, touch, affection, laughter, and play are all crucial in helping a child’s brain develop and process trauma. These activities enable children to heal, paving the way for them to lead healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives.

View all messages