Emotional Concussions The Silent Brain Injury You Might Have

WHAT IS AN EMOTIONAL CONCUSSION?

Most people are familiar with physical concussions, which are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by damaging events like hits or bumps to the head. In these instances, the injury can be obvious. 

But brain injuries from emotional stress are also possible. When it comes to the brain, emotional trauma vs. physical trauma may seem completely different, but they do share some commonalities.

For example, both types often go unreported, undiagnosed, and untreated. Just as many people erroneously believe they need to lose consciousness to sustain a concussion, they might think their psychological trauma isn’t serious enough to cause an emotional concussion.

Both types of concussions can also lead to cognitive, behavioral, or mental health issues. That’s because a blow to the head, as well as emotional trauma, impacts healthy brain function.

When emotional traumas pile up—as with soldiers in war, first responders, or chronically traumatized children—these effects are compounded. And some individuals, such as those who lack social support, are more susceptible to lasting effects from trauma.

Such factors can increase the risk of developing mental health symptoms and conditions. This helps explain how emotional trauma affects mental health.   

Furthermore, emotional concussions may remain undiagnosed—or misdiagnosed—because the symptoms overlap with those of other conditions. Emotional concussion symptoms include:

• Persistent anxiety, depression, or irritability
• Brain fog and/or trouble focusing
• Chronic stress reactions (such as fight, flight, or freeze)
• Fatigue or sleep disturbances
• Disturbing memories or flashbacks to a traumatic event
• Numbness or dissociation
• Isolation or lack of interest in formerly enjoyable activities
• Being easily startled or hypervigilant (feeling “on edge”)

EFFECTS OF EMOTIONAL TRAUMA ON THE BRAIN

Emotional trauma and chronic stress can be silent destroyers, but they actually create changes in the brain. For example, prolonged or frequent stress rewires the brain’s emotional centers because it continually sets off the fight-or-flight response. Over time, the individual can experience reduced brain reserve and diminished cognitive focus.

Several brain regions are impacted by chronic stress and trauma:

1. The deep limbic system. Too much activity in this region is associated with depression. This system includes:

• The hippocampus, a region associated with mood, memory, and learning
• The thalamus, which is the brain’s “relay station” for communicating information
• The amygdala, an almond-shaped structure in the temporal lobes, known as the fear center
• The hypothalamus, or the emotional center of the brain
• The olfactory cortex, which is involved with the sense of smell 

2. The basal ganglia. These large structures near the center of the brain surround the limbic system and are associated with motivation levels, integrating feelings, and forming habits. Overactivity here may create anxiety, nervousness, worry, and difficulty sleeping. This can lead to a freeze response or overwhelm in the face of stressful situations.
3. Anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). Known as the brain’s gear shifter, the ACG is positioned deep in the middle of the frontal lobes. An overactive ACG may produce difficulty with shifting attention, which can trigger obsessive thinking patterns and “stuck” intrusive or negative thoughts. Ultimately, it can contribute to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or addictions.

4. Prefrontal cortex (PFC). Research has found that the PFC—involved with impulse control, judgment, and focus—also plays a critical role in threat and fear processing and responses.

HOW EMOTIONAL TRAUMA AFFECTS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

When emotional concussions remain untreated, they can create serious negative impacts on various areas of an individual’s life. For example, those with unhealed emotional trauma may experience an increased risk of mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.

Thanks to heightened emotional reactivity and difficulty regulating emotions, relationship problems can also occur after emotional concussions. Because building healthy relationships is crucial for overall health and longevity, challenges in this domain can have a devastating domino effect.

Finally, the National Center for PTSD reports that substantial research has linked psychological trauma and physical health, starting with neurochemical changes in the brain. The organization notes that PTSD, for example, has been associated with:

• Vulnerability to hypertension and atherosclerotic heart disease (leading to cardiovascular disorders)
• Abnormalities in thyroid and other hormone functions
• Increased susceptibility to infections and immunologic disorders
• Issues with the gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal systems of the body

 Therefore, physical symptoms like headaches, gut issues, chronic pain, and fatigue may occur as a side effect of untreated emotional concussions.

HEALING EMOTIONAL CONCUSSIONS: BRAIN-BASED STRATEGIES

With several regions of the brain potentially affected by emotional trauma and chronic stress, functional brain imaging is essential for revealing a full picture of the impact. When emotional trauma and stress accumulate, brain SPECT scans often reveal a diamond pattern in the brain, reflecting increased activity in the basal ganglia, ACG, and parts of the deep limbic system.

Fortunately, thanks to the remarkable ability of neuroplasticity, rewiring the brain for increased stress resilience is possible.

Certain psychotherapy modalities can be helpful for tackling emotional trauma. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) assists in questioning and reframing automatic negative thoughts. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) addresses and reduces the severity of emotional trauma symptoms.

Adopting positive lifestyle habits further works to reduce stress and anxiety. Ensure high-quality sleep, exercise regularly to boost blood flow to the brain, and eat a well-balanced diet with anti-anxiety foods. Introduce calming practices like journaling, mindfulness/meditation, deep breathing, and prayer.

Finally, embrace natural strategies to calm an overactive or overwhelmed brain. Try relaxation-inducing supplements like GABA, magnesium, and lemon balm. Brain-based therapies such as neurofeedback can help retrain your brain and create more balance, reducing mental health symptoms. And hypnosis can change negative thought patterns and habits while soothing anxiety.

RECOVERING FROM EMOTIONAL WOUNDS IS POSSIBLE

While emotional scars can run deep, they are not beyond help and healing. Treating an emotional concussion is possible with a holistic brain-body approach.

Because these invisible wounds often go undiagnosed, the first step toward healing is awareness. If the symptoms of an emotional concussion are interfering with your life and well-being, seek help from a mental health professional to start on the road to recovery.