What Happened To You?

1. Trauma shapes our brain and behaviors from early childhood

"We learn that a connection with another person can be rewarding and regulating. It pulls us to engage with our teachers, coaches, classmates."

Foundational experiences determine neurological development. The human brain matures in a sequential manner, beginning with lower systems. Because of this, events occurring in early childhood have a profound influence on the development of core regulatory networks. When an individual experiences trauma, neglect, or inconsistent care, their stress response system can become overactive. This adjustment affects how they learn, interact with others, and manage behavior throughout their lives.

Survival mechanisms can lead to future challenges. Behaviors developed to navigate chaotic or dangerous environments are often functional in their original context but may become problematic in different settings. For instance, a high state of alertness that serves as a survival tool in a high-stress home might be misinterpreted as a learning or attention disorder in a professional or educational environment. Understanding these early influences is vital for accurate assessment and effective support.

Key brain areas affected by early trauma:

• Brainstem: Regulates basic functions like heart rate and breathing
• Limbic system: Processes emotions and memories
• Cortex: Responsible for higher-level thinking and decision-making

2. Understanding "what happened to you" is crucial for healing

"We can help each other heal, but often assumptions about resilience and grit blind us to the healing that leads us down the painful path to wisdom."

A change in perspective alters the approach to care. Moving away from a deficit-based question like "What's wrong with you?" toward an inquiry into history—"What happened to you?"—enables a more precise and empathetic understanding of trauma-related symptoms. This shift recognizes that an individual's current state is a logical reflection of their past experiences.

Systemic awareness is a prerequisite for trauma-informed practice. It is necessary to understand how widespread trauma is to ensure that various social systems support recovery instead of causing further distress. This specialized awareness is critical across several professional domains:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Criminal justice
• Social services

3. Developmental adversity impacts stress response systems

"When we are pushed out of equilibrium—out of balance—we have a set of stress-response systems that will be activated to help us."

Stress patterns dictate neurological outcomes. The specific way the stress response system is activated during growth determines whether a person develops resilience or becomes sensitized. While moderate and predictable stress can help build strength, stress that is extreme, unpredictable, or continuous can cause the system to become hyper-reactive.

Functioning is dependent on the individual's state of arousal. The capacity to process information and behave rationally changes based on how threatened an individual feels. As arousal increases, control shifts from the higher brain to more primitive areas:

• Calm: The cortex is active, allowing for complex thought.
• Alert: The individual maintains focused attention.
• Alarm: Emotional processing begins to take precedence over logic.
• Fear: Thinking becomes purely reactive and focused on immediate survival.

4. Relationships and connectedness are key to resilience and healing

"Connectedness has the power to counterbalance adversity."

Social bonds act as a protective factor. Meaningful links to family, peers, and cultural groups can lessen the negative impact of difficult life events. Research suggests that the presence of high-quality, positive relationships is often a better predictor of long-term mental health than the actual number of adverse events experienced.

Recovery is a social process. Many traditional cultures focus on belonging as a primary method of healing. In modern settings, effective support strategies should include:

• Creating a broad network of supportive interpersonal connections.
• Allowing for the gradual, controlled processing of difficult memories.
• Utilizing rhythmic activities, such as music or movement, to aid regulation.
• Strengthening cultural identity and a sense of community.

5. Dissociation is both a coping mechanism and potential disorder

"Dissociation as a coping mechanism will happen more commonly when the individual feels that a threatening situation is inescapable."

Dissociation provides psychological protection. When a person cannot physically escape a threat, the brain may use dissociation to create a mental distance from the event. This internal flight can result in:

• A numbing of emotional responses.
• A feeling of being detached from one's own body.
• Changes in the perception of time and environment.

Chronic reliance on dissociation creates long-term difficulties. While helpful during a crisis, using dissociation as a primary way to handle stress can interfere with work, interpersonal relationships, and general daily life. A person with a sensitized dissociative response may experience:

• Problems remaining mentally present during stress.
• Obstacles to achieving emotional intimacy.
• A tendency to use self-harm as a method of self-regulation.

6. Implicit bias and systemic racism are forms of collective trauma

"I believe that a truly trauma-informed system is an anti-racist system."

Early life shapes internal worldviews. The brain builds associations and frameworks based on early social interactions. These deep-seated biases often persist in the subconscious, even if they contradict an individual’s conscious values or beliefs.

Systemic oppression generates ongoing trauma. Persistent marginalization creates a state of chronic, uncontrollable stress that sensitizes the nervous system. This collective trauma impacts entire communities over generations, resulting in:

• Higher frequencies of physical and mental health challenges.
• Disproportionate involvement in the legal, educational, and welfare systems.
• Lasting social and economic gaps.

Addressing these issues requires identifying personal biases, fostering inclusive environments, and creating institutional policies that are both trauma-informed and anti-racist.

7. Modern society creates relational poverty and sensory overload

"Our current challenge is that the rate of invention is now exceeding the rate at which we can problem-solve."

Human biology is mismatched with modern environments. Human neural networks were optimized for small groups and natural settings, not the high-intensity stimuli of urban life and modern technology. Constant digital and environmental input can overtax the body's stress-response mechanisms.

A lack of deep connection affects modern well-being. Contemporary lifestyles often lack sufficient opportunities for meaningful social interaction, leading to "relational poverty." This lack of connection is linked to:

• Higher levels of depression and anxiety.
• A decline in social skills and empathy.
• A reduced capacity to bounce back from hardship.

To address these challenges, individuals and communities can implement "techno-hygiene" to prioritize face-to-face time, focus on building intergenerational bonds, and design spaces that encourage human interaction and sensory regulation.

8. Post-traumatic wisdom emerges from healing and growth

"It is impossible to be truly wisdom without some real-life hardship."

Growth can follow traumatic events. Although trauma is inherently painful, the work of processing and integrating those experiences can result in significant personal insight. This "post-traumatic wisdom" is characterized by:

• Heightened levels of compassion and empathy.
• A deeper value for life and social connections.
• Improved skills for managing future difficulties.

Resilience is a developed capacity. Resilience is not a fixed trait present at birth; rather, it is built through the experience of overcoming manageable stress with the help of supportive relationships and the practice of effective coping strategies. Promoting this growth involves providing safe environments for making sense of past events and acknowledging the strength demonstrated by survivors.

9. Trauma-informed care requires systemic change and empathy

"Empathy is the ability to put yourself in somebody else's shoes—both in an emotional sense, to feel a bit of what they may feel, but also in a cognitive sense, to see the situation from their perspective."

Institutional transformation is essential. Comprehensive trauma-informed care requires changes across all social structures:

• Education: Shifting toward trauma-sensitive school environments.
• Healthcare: Integrating trauma awareness into all medical practices.
• Justice: Moving toward rehabilitation instead of purely punitive measures.
• Social Services: Prioritizing early intervention and preventative care.

Empathy serves as the core of the system. Building these systems requires both emotional and cognitive empathy from professionals. This involves specialized training to recognize trauma, developing policies that focus on safety and trust, and creating collaborative environments.

Key principles of trauma-informed care:

1. Safety
2. Trustworthiness and transparency
3. Peer support
4. Collaboration and mutuality
5. Empowerment, voice, and choice
6. Cultural, historical, and gender issues

Last updated: January 22, 2025