For many, Hurricane Ian was a traumatic event. Beyond the clearing away of debris and the rebuilding, there are the deep emotional and psychological impacts of a terrifying experience. Pastor June reached out to Dr. Al to help us understand the impact.

How does trauma affect us?
Trauma impacts our brains’ physical workings, which affects us psychologically. There are three areas of the brain affected:

  1. The amygdala regulates how we respond to fear and creates emotional memories. In a traumatic event, the amygdala becomes overactivated, so the fear responses become more intense. These fear responses show up in nightmares and flashbacks.
  2. The hippocampus stores and retrieves memories, differentiating between past and present experiences. Experiencing trauma and living with high levels of stress affects the functioning of the hippocampus, making it hard to distinguish between past and present memories. As a result, certain sounds, smells, or images will immediately remind us of the trauma, creating fear and feelings of panic.
  3. The prefrontal cortex regulates and interprets emotions, controls impulses, and solves complex problems. Stress affects this area by decreasing our ability to learn new information, manage our emotions well, and solve problems. As a result, trauma can make logical thinking difficult, which can make us unable to control our fear.

Trauma can impact the brain so much that it affects our daily living and creates anxiety, insomnia, irritability, nightmares, and panic attacks. Problems with memory, concentration, decision-making, and learning new things may occur.

Can trauma responses be controlled?
Trauma can be dealt with, and we can heal. No one who has experienced trauma should feel ashamed of the natural responses they experience. We are finely tuned creations: our bodies, brains, emotions, will, and spirit are a beautiful unity. Trauma will affect us, but it need not be permanent.

How can we help ourselves and others deal with the effects of trauma?
Talking about the trauma and what caused it is very helpful. Naming specific fears that linger helps too. Good counselors and kind friends are necessary. Tell your doctor about anxiety or insomnia and accept the help offered. If you are the friend or spouse of someone who has experienced trauma, be ready to hear their story multiple times. As your friend retells it, those memories are being processed into something more manageable, less toxic. Patient and kind listening is a healing gift you can offer.

Is there a particular Scripture you use to help?
Psalm 13 is short—just six verses—but in it, we see someone bringing trauma to God. It offers us an outline of how to do it. In verses 1-2, we bring pain, fear, and sadness to God and talk about it. In verses 3-4, we tell God what we want, need, and long for. In verses 5-6, we reaffirm that we hope and trust in God to restore us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This outline can be a prompt for spiritual journaling and prayer. Journaling is an excellent way to process memories and feelings.

Have you seen people heal well after trauma?
It’s been my great privilege to walk with people from trauma to safe and calm futures. Yes, healing happens. Love and listening matter. Our God is the God of comfort and healing. He is the God of resurrection and new beginnings. Yes, healing happens.

by Pastor June Barrow and Dr. Al Barrow

Our Spiritual Development Center is here for you.
Call 239-221-8250 to schedule an appointment.
Counseling services are free of charge.