Like so many other women who attend the Red Cross support group meetings, the mother of five watched helplessly as soldiers forced her husband and son out of the truck bed in which they were traveling and shot them before her eyes. Since then she has experienced frequent fainting spells and nightmares. Weeks of fitful or sleepless nights have left her exhausted, her nerves stretched thin. She has yet to share the exact details of her husband and son's death with the support group. The response to trauma begins in the brain, which floods the bloodstream with stress hormones.
Adrenaline sends a surge of blood and energy throughout the body, allowing it to fight or run away.
When the immediate threat is over, cortisol kicks in. This hormone calms the system down. But for some people, especially those who have experienced extreme trauma, the stress response doesn't turn off properly. The brain stays on full alert. Traumatic memories crowd out everyday thoughts.