Last week we learned about the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and that it has two major nerves. They are the sympathetic which is the stress response (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic, which calms the system. Each time we breathe we activate one and then the other. The inhale activates the sympathetic nerve, and the …
Sympathetic Nerve Hormones: From Deficient, to Ideal to High Read More »
If you look up the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) in Trauma Glossary 3 (section 2), you will see it has two major nerves. They are the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nerve. We can think of them as the gas and the brakes, because that’s their common analogy anyway. The sympathetic nerve is the “gas” and …
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Simplified Read More »
The Watchtower is the medial prefrontal cortex. It’s that part of the brain that’s located just above the middle of our eyes. Besides acting as a counterweight to the amygdala (fight or flight response), it functions in the way you would expect from a person who has watchtower duty. In the Medieval Times, those who …
The Brain’s Watchtower with the Mohawk of Self-Awareness Read More »
What happens next? How long will this take? Where is my rhythm? Any time you work these answers, you are using your brain’s timekeeper. Its medical term is dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but that’s a mouthful. Thanks to trauma researcher, Bessel Van der Kolk, (The Body Keeps the Score) we have a simplified nickname. The Timekeeper …
The Brain’s Timekeeper: How We Determine What Happens Next Read More »
Two weeks ago, we covered the most important parts of the brain for healing trauma. It reiterated the importance of being present while building and maintaining our window of tolerance. That article, which was an introduction to this series is here. This week, we are covering the thalamus, how it works, its connection to our …
Thalamus: That Part of the Brain that Interprets the Present Read More »
For healing trauma, three parts of the brain must be online. They are the Thalamus, Watchtower, and Timekeeper. It’s how we build and maintain our window of tolerance. When we are fully aware of what’s going on right now, we can feel safe. This helps us process the past, in a time when we felt …
Healing Trauma: The Most Important Parts of the Brain Read More »
The past two weeks, we have covered Cortisol and Dopamine. Through them, we have learned that they have a converter in common: Norepinephrine. In this visual aid wrap up, we will review how it works for two major body chemicals. The key to a regulated stress response (Cortisol) and building confidence (good Dopamine) is through …
Norepinephrine is the Thinker and Action Taking Hormone Read More »
Dopamine is the body chemical that begins with, “I want.” Whatever the want is. Then it develops our habits by what works to get it. Thus, how “boss” dopamine is the chief influencer of our happiness hormones. It can make or break our mood (Serotonin) and social interactions (Oxytocin). So, what happens to our dopamine …
Boss Dopamine in the House of Habits and Desires Read More »
Cortisol is a major neurotransmitter (or body chemical). It’s best known as a stress chemical, which is why our first impression of cortisol isn’t a good one. But cortisol is the one responsible for regulating not just our stress response, but our blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism, and immune system. Suffice to say, how we …
Boss Cortisol in the House of Stress and Trauma Read More »
“Pardon my Broca” should become a thing, since it’s a common side effect of CPTSD. What is this Broca, you may ask? Well first, its official name is Broca’s Area. It’s a part of our brain that acts as our communication center, specifically, how we send and receive information. It ensures that our conversations flow …
Pardon My Broca: Troubleshooting in the Now Read More »
