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Can childhood trauma change the brain?

As children grow, their brains go through periods of rapid development. Negative experiences can disrupt these, leading to changes in the brain. It can cause psychological and emotional problems in adulthood, such as psychological disorders and addictions.

There are clear differences in brain structure between people who had experienced childhood trauma and those who had not. The biggest changes are in the brain regions that help balance emotions and impulses, as well as self-aware thinking. Some examples of these changes are: overactivity in the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions and determining reactions to potentially stressful or dangerous situations. Decreased size of the hippocampus, which is important in learning and memory. Less volume in the prefrontal cortex, which affects behavior, emotional balance, and perception. Dysfunction at different levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is involved in the stress response.

And there are many more of possible brain changes. But what is certain is that your childhood can have a huge impact on how you regulate your emotions or function socially later in life.


Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/childhood-abuse-changes-the-brain-2330401

Comments

  1. englishdiaryMarch 29, 2022 at 11:38 AM

    I didn't realize that those childhood experiences can physically change the shape and size of our brains.

    ReplyDelete

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