Have you ever wondered why a particular traumatic experience has affected you so deeply, while others seem to bounce back more easily from similar events? Or perhaps you've found yourself thinking, "It wasn't even that bad compared to what others go through, so why can't I just get over it?" As a trauma therapist based in North Berwick, these are questions I hear regularly, and recent research is helping us understand exactly why some experiences stick with us more than others.

Understanding Your Brain's Threat System

When something traumatic happens, your brain's primary job is to assess how much danger you're in. This isn't just about the objective facts of what occurred - it's about how threatened you felt in that moment. Research by Herzog and colleagues has shown us that this feeling of threat during a traumatic event - what we call "peritraumatic threat perception" - plays a crucial role in determining whether you'll develop ongoing symptoms like intrusive memories.

Why This Matters for Your Recovery

The study found that people who felt more threatened during a traumatic experience were more likely to develop intrusive memories afterwards. But here's the important part - it wasn't just the memories themselves that were problematic. Those who felt highly threatened also developed stronger expectations that these disturbing memories would keep coming back.

Think of it like this: if your brain detected extreme danger during the trauma, it stays on high alert, expecting more danger to come. This creates a cycle where expecting intrusive memories actually makes them more likely to occur and feel more distressing when they do.

What This Means for You

This research helps explain why your trauma response makes complete sense. Your brain was doing exactly what it's designed to do - protect you from perceived threats. The intensity of your symptoms isn't a reflection of weakness; it's evidence that your threat detection system was working overtime during a genuinely overwhelming experience.

Understanding this can be incredibly validating. It also gives us clear targets for therapy. Rather than just focusing on what happened, we can work on how your brain interpreted the danger at the time and address any ongoing expectations about intrusive memories.

Moving Forward

If you're struggling with intrusive memories or other trauma symptoms, know that these responses are your brain's way of trying to keep you safe. Through therapy approaches like EMDR and trauma-focused CBT, we can help your brain update its threat assessment and reduce those distressing expectations about future symptoms.

Recovery isn't about minimising what happened to you - it's about helping your nervous system recognise that you're safe now. If you'd like to explore how understanding your trauma response could support your healing journey, I'm here to help.