Understanding Disrupted Neurodevelopment Exploring the way human brains develop clarifies why adversity has such a long-lasting impact on a person. VIDEO: “How Trauma Impacts the Brain: Reducing Stigma Around Addiction and Substance Use” - Carleton University https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNVShudqsTI Human brains develop from the bottom up. The base of the brain is the reptilian brain that connects with the spinal cord and is called the basal ganglia. It includes the brainstem and cerebellum. This part of the brain is equated with animal instincts. It tells our heart to beat and our lungs to breathe. It also controls reflex behaviors, muscles, balance, and other bodily functions. This brain structure is very reactive to direct stimulation. The limbic system is the midbrain, the center of emotion, motivation, and learning. It is unique to mammals. Everything in the limbic system is agreeable (pleasurable) or disagreeable (pain, distress). Survival is based upon avoidance of pain and reoccurrence of pleasure. During periods of stress or trauma, the limbic system can default to previous levels of response. Essentially the limbic system may not be responding to danger in the moment. The response may have been imbedded in the person’s physiological system. The top part of the brain is the neocortex or the thinking brain. It is unique to primates. Humans have a highly evolved neocortex. This part of the brain includes the pre-frontal lobes that regulate so much of what makes a human a human: executive functioning, higher-order thinking skills, moral reasoning, speech, meaning making, and will power. In situations where the person’s life is in danger, the limbic region is activated to help the person survive. This is the fight, flight, or freeze response. Every being is instilled with this response system to survive. When a being experiences the fight, flight, or freeze response, over 1,400 physiological changes happen in its body.
54
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online