How many times have we heard of people who were raped or otherwise violated being accused in their attacker’s trial of not fighting or running away? The survivor, instead of receiving sympathy and justice, is instead bombarded inside the court and out with shame and blame.
This article will examine the phenomenon of freezing during trauma and how the polyvagal theory explains this lack of the ability to escape.
The Neuroscience of Fear
If more judges and juries were aware of the complicated dance done in the human brain when endangered, perhaps the stigma against survivors would end. But, to understand why survivors freeze when confronted with an attacker they would need to know a little bit of neuroscience.
The brain uses a complicated pathway to respond to a threat by first receiving messages from the senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing). The brain gathers information about the environment the body is in by scanning with the senses continuously throughout the day and night.
The gathered messages are then sent to the thalamus, also known as the relay center of the middle brain. From the thalamus, the signals are routed to the appropriate areas of the brain that involve sensation and movement and the limbic system made up primarily of the amygdala and hippocampus.
[Click here to read more.]
For more information on CPTSD, including resources and materials to help in healing and living with Complex PTSD symptoms, head over to CPTSDfoundation.org.
Comments (0)