What Is Trauma?
How Traumatic Experiences Rewire the Brain, Body, and Behavior
(Part 1 of the Series on Transgenerational Trauma)
This article is part of a series on transgenerational trauma – a phenomenon where unresolved trauma is unconsciously passed down from one generation to the next. To understand how trauma can be inherited, it’s essential to first explore what trauma actually is, how it arises, and how it affects the brain and body on a physiological level.
This first post provides a detailed explanation of the biological and neurological mechanisms of trauma, the difference between fight, flight, and freeze responses, and the role of neurotransmitters in creating long-lasting trauma symptoms. It also outlines common psychological and physical symptoms and introduces the concept of complex PTSD and repetition compulsion.
What Is Trauma?
A trauma is not just a painful experience – it is an event so overwhelming that it imprints itself deeply in the brain. This imprint can cause the experience to repeat itself through flashbacks, nightmares, or chronic stress, even without conscious memory of what happened.
For an event to become traumatic, four specific conditions are typically present:
An overwhelming, shocking experience
Intense emotional reaction, typically fear or rage
Personal significance or threat to safety or attachment
Inescapability – the person is unable to flee or take action
When these four elements converge, the brain undergoes a biochemical shift, particularly in the amygdala, limbic system, and prefrontal cortex, altering its structure and function long term.
Trauma and the Evolutionary Stress Response
Trauma is an evolutionary survival mechanism. When facing a threat, the nervous system prepares for:
Vigilance (heightened alertness)
Fight or flight (mobilization of energy to survive)
or, in cases of inescapable danger:
Freeze (immobility and dissociation)
The freeze response – a state of extreme muscular tension and disconnection from the moment – is what leads to trauma. It is a state of being trapped, where the nervous system uses all available energy to endure, not to escape. This results in dissociation, emotional numbness, and often a lifelong imprint of physiological dysregulation.
Trauma Leaves a Biological Trace
Trauma imprints itself in the brain through specific chemical messengers – such as noradrenaline, glutamate, and cortisol – which form lasting neural pathways. These pathways are meant to protect but often result in post-traumatic symptoms such as anxiety, flashbacks, or overreactions to harmless stimuli.
Emotional and sensory content from the traumatic event is stored in the non-declarative memory – the part of the brain that does not involve conscious recall. This explains why many trauma survivors react strongly to sounds, smells, or locations without knowing why. These are known as triggers.
Psychological and Physical Symptoms of Trauma
Common psychological symptoms:
Intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares
Emotional numbness, dissociation, or depression
Shame, guilt, low self-worth
Difficulty trusting others, avoidance of relationships
Hypervigilance, irritability, trouble concentrating
Repetition compulsion (recreating trauma dynamics unconsciously)
Common physical symptoms:
Chronic tension (especially in the neck, back, and jaw)
Headaches, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances
Sleep disorders, fatigue, shortness of breath
Cardiovascular symptoms, autoimmune conditions
Jaw clenching, muscle pain, and immune system dysregulation
These symptoms may arise immediately after the trauma or build up slowly over time. In many cases, they are misdiagnosed or treated symptomatically, without recognizing the underlying trauma.
Why Movement Matters – And Why Trauma Freezes
The body naturally responds to stress by mobilizing energy for action – to flee or fight. Trauma arises when this energy cannot be discharged. Instead of movement, the body becomes locked in a state of tension. This stuck energy manifests as pain, fatigue, or disconnection from the body.
Additionally, many trauma survivors live in a state of "defensive rage" – a final survival response that may cause extreme muscular tightness, especially in the jaw, neck, and back. This unresolved survival energy can become chronic pain.
The Role of the Brain: Amygdala, Limbic System, and Prefrontal Cortex
The amygdala detects threats and initiates fear responses
The limbic system processes emotions and memory
The prefrontal cortex assesses context and regulates emotion
During trauma, these brain regions are overwhelmed. The prefrontal cortex may fail to regulate the amygdala’s fear response. Memory encoding becomes fragmented – some parts (like sensory cues) are stored, while others (like narrative understanding) remain absent. That’s why survivors often can’t “explain” their trauma but still feel its effects.
PTSD vs. Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
PTSD usually follows a single traumatic incident (e.g., accident, assault)
Complex PTSD results from prolonged or repeated trauma – especially in childhood – such as emotional neglect, abuse, or captivity
C-PTSD often leads to deeper disruptions in self-image, relationships, and emotional regulation, and requires long-term therapy.
Trauma and the Meninges – An Osteopathic Perspective
The meninges, connective tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, respond sensitively to stress. In trauma, they can contract and remain tight, contributing to headaches, dizziness, sensory overload, or reduced nerve function. Osteopathic treatment may help release this tension and improve regulation.
This insight underscores why trauma is not just “in the mind” – it is a full-body experience, embedded in the nervous system, fascia, and cellular memory.
Repetition Compulsion: When the Trauma Keeps Replaying
Trauma often leads to unconscious repetition of the original danger – a desperate attempt by the nervous system to gain control over what was once uncontrollable. For example:
A child of abusive parents may choose harmful partners
A survivor of sexual assault may unconsciously recreate similar dynamics
This behavior is not a choice. It’s a trauma-driven survival mechanism. Healing begins when this pattern is recognized – typically in trauma-informed therapy.
Conclusion: Trauma Is Not Weakness – It Is Adaptation
Trauma survivors are not “too sensitive” or “broken.” They are living with a nervous system that adapted to survive extreme threat – and now struggles to return to safety. Trauma changes the brain, body, and behavior. Understanding this is the first step toward healing.
Future posts in this series will explore how trauma can be passed on across generations, and how trauma can be healed through relationship, bodywork, and neurobiological repair.
Need help?
If you recognize yourself in these symptoms, support is available:
In Germany, call 116 117 for therapy referrals
Try platforms like therapie.de or psychotherapiesuche.de
In crisis: Contact a local mental health service or helpline
Learn more about trauma-informed osteopathy and body-based healing at www.paulaklisiewicz.de.
