08/21/2025
Post-traumatic stress disorder is not merely a disorder of memory, a set of unfortunate recollections replayed against one's will. It is something deeper—a fundamental rewiring of the brain's response to the world.
For those who live with PTSD, the past is not in the past. It lingers, intruding upon the present in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, and an unrelenting vigilance that makes true rest impossible. It is as if the body has learned that danger is ever-present and refuses to unlearn the lesson.
The physiological underpinnings of PTSD are well-documented, though still not widely understood outside of neuroscience and clinical psychology. The amygdala, the brain's primary alarm system, can become overactive, sounding the call for defense at the slightest provocation.
The anterior cingulate cortex, which in a well-regulated brain helps to dampen unnecessary fear responses, struggles to exert control.
The hippocampus, responsible for distinguishing past from present, can show signs of atrophy, making it difficult for the mind to properly store trauma as something concluded rather than ongoing. The result is a kind of temporal dislocation: a body that remains braced for catastrophe, a mind that cannot let go of the moment of impact.
This neurological entrapment is often reflected in distinct patterns of brainwave activity; there are many profiles.
Individuals with PTSD can exhibit an excess of high-frequency beta waves, associated with rapid, often obsessive thought patterns and an inability to relax. Another profile of elevated alpha, often seen at the right posterior temporal location, corresponds with blocking the storage of unprocessed, subconscious trauma.
Developmental trauma can be seen in a brain oscillating between hyperarousal and dissociation, caught in a rhythm that makes both presence and peace elusive.
A growing body of research suggests that PTSD, being as much a neurological condition as a psychological one, requires direct intervention at the level of the brain itself. Neurotherapy seeks to restore equilibrium by gently guiding the brain toward healthier patterns of activity.
