Stress and Trauma Explained: Symptoms & Solutions

Kathryn Williams, APRN-C contributed to this post.

What the heck is happening to my body? Why am I feeling the residual effect of past trauma, but I am no longer in the event, situation, or past experience anymore?

It’s safe to know  that there is more going on behind the surface.

So, when someone says, "move on from your past and move forward," you can be comforted in knowing that the thoughts and behaviors are not a lack of willpower or bad character — trauma can literally rewire the brain.

Trauma has the possibility to recalibrate the brain’s internal alarm system. Someone that has experienced previous trauma can often become hypervigilant to threat in day-to-day lives. The core of who we were before the trauma is no longer. Trauma is not simply an event that took place sometime in the past, it has been imprinted into the psyche of an individual as they manage to survive in the present. Trauma in the brain can physiologically change the brain’s ability to interpret events.

A study mentioned in the book, The Body Keeps The Score, explains how patients with previous trauma have physiological changes in the brain. The study shows when people are presented with images, sounds, or thoughts related to their particular experience, the amygdala reacts with alarm — even years after the event. Activation of this fear center (the amygdala) triggers the cascade of stress hormones, preparing what we know as the fight or flight mechanism.

People with prolonged stress and trauma have a more difficult time to return to baseline when presented with normal, less stressful stimuli. When something reminds traumatized people of the past, their right brain reacts as if the event was happening in the present. When the old brain takes over, it partially shuts down the higher levels of our brain (the conscious brain), and propels the body to run, hide, fight, or freeze.

In order for real change to take place, one must be able to disassociate from the danger that has passed and learn to live in the present through new, positive experiences. Meditation, deep breathing, and strong support systems can help you to call you out of the “in the moment flashback.”

There is good news: the brain has the ability of neuroplasticity, which is the ability to form and reorganize neuro pathways in the synaptic connections within the brain.

How Nova Vita Can Help:

Nova Vita Wellness Centers provides IV Ketamine Therapy to help promote neuroplasticity and ease the symptoms that can be a result of past trauma. Ketamine detaches the improper synapses — allowing them to regrow and reattach. Then over time, with the assistance of talk therapy, synapses regenerate, connecting cells and allowing the brain to communicate more effectively as a network. Ketamine along with other treatments provide a pathway to relief in the brain and body connection—making it a beneficial alternative for people that failed to find relief from traditional medications for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation.

Some people are not candidates for Ketamine Therapy and can experience relief from depression and anxiety through lifestyle changes, IV Vitamin Therapy, or NAD+. Lifestyle changes and increasing certain vitamin levels in your body can help repair the gut-brain connection which has a significant, positive impact on your mental health. NAD+ is a coenzyme which is naturally produced by our bodies yet declines as we age. Research suggests that an infusion of NAD+ can elevate levels of this important coenzyme to boost mood levels while reversing feelings of depression and anxiety.

Additionally, NAD+ is shown to replenish neurotransmitters previously depleted due to a constant activation of the nervous system and body which occurs in trauma to brain and body. This mechanism of action allows NAD+ Therapy to be used independently or in conjunction with IV Ketamine Infusions.

Ketamine promotes neuroplasticity in the brain while NAD+ improves brain cells’ resistance to stress and slows the progression of cognitive decline.

Benefits of NAD+ and Ketamine Therapy combined:

• Reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression
• Improve mental clarity
• Boost neurological function
• Elevate mood levels
• Sharpen concentration
• Increase focus

If you are unsure of which treatment option is right for you, the healthcare professionals at Nova Vita Wellness Centers are here to help you decide. During your personal consultation, we will review all of your current symptoms, past medication history, and goals that you would like to achieve.

Our wellness experts will answer any questions you have and help you move forward on your journey to improved mental health.

We want every patient to Feel Better, Look Better, and Be Better™ on their own terms.