The genetic and somatic expressions of trauma: A review of pathology and treatment

Abstract

Traumatic experiences change one’s orientation to self, others, and the environment. In the wake of trauma, survivors are besieged by powerful emotions, sensations, and memories as they adapt to a new and unwanted reality. Chronic recall of disorganized traumatic memory engenders a myriad of unpleasant psychological and somatic responses. Confrontation with an overwhelming experience from which escape is not possible will challenge and change the way the brain communicates- both with itself and other parts of the body. While quickly adapting to environment and experience, what the brain is designed to do, in the presence of trauma, the brain is concurrently trying to find a way to internally escape the external environment. The symptoms that present secondary to PTSD are compulsory and biological, making traditional psychotherapy practices limiting as they do not resolve neurological conflicts in brain synapses or brain communication. This work explores the implications of trauma, innovative treatment modalities, and the genetic expression of PTSD.