Complex Trauma Case Study

Traumatic experiences similar to the neglect my interviewee suffered, are likely to cause alterations in children's brains resulting in an endless list of long term negative effects. Many children that have suffered through traumatic experiences are likely to face issues with, commitment, empathy, identifying or expressing feelings, relationships, and low self-esteem (Middlebrooks and Audage). As well as issues with attachment, cognitive delays, increased medical issues, and impaired emotional regulation. Not only that, but difficulty focusing, trauma re-enactment, and processing information are other obstacles that some trauma victims face later on in life (Effects of Complex Trauma).
When a traumatic or stressful event occurs in humans, the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system are activated. The sympathetic nervous system releases the neurotransmitter norepinephrine and epinephrine leading to an increased heart rate, directs energy to muscles, and shuts down nonessential body systems. The hypothalamus then sends the corticotropin-releasing hormone to the pituitary gland, causing the …show more content…
Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang explain in their book, “Chronic stress makes fear conditioning easier and its extinction more difficult. Over time, the hippocampal damage not only impairs learning but also reduces the brain’s ability to terminate the stress response, initiating a cycle of problems that lead to more hippocampal damage.” Northgate’s guidance counselor, Jeff Kent supports this statement by explaining that many children who experience traumatic events are often under chronic stress because depending on what caused the trauma, they can be reminded of what happened to them, which only leads to the cycle of