PTSD
PTSD is a psychiatric condition that can occur following the experience or witnessing of a traumatic event. PTSD has been around for thousands of years, although it hasn’t always been called PTSD. During the Civil War it was called “Soldier’s Heart,” “Shell Shock” in WWI, “Battle fatigue” in WWII, and only most recently, “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,” or PTSD. The first time PTSD appeared …show more content…
The thalamus doesn’t know if it’s a threat or not, but it could be, so it sends the information to the amygdala. The amygdala receives the information and quickly scans it to determine if it is a threat and starts action to protect you. After the amygdala sends a distress signal, the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system by sending signals through the autonomic nerves to the adrenal glands. These glands respond by pumping the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into the bloodstream. As epinephrine circulates through the body, it brings on many physiological changes. The heart beats faster than normal, pushing blood to the muscles, heart, and other vital organs causing the pulse rate and blood pressure go up. The person who is undergoing these changes also starts to breathe more rapidly. Small airways in the lungs open wide, which allows the lungs to take in as much oxygen as possible with each breath. Extra oxygen is sent to the brain, increasing alertness; sight, hearing, and other senses also become sharper. Meanwhile, epinephrine triggers the release of blood sugar (glucose) and fats from temporary storage sites in the body. These nutrients flood into the bloodstream, supplying energy to all parts of the body. All of these changes happen so quickly that people aren't aware of them. In fact, the wiring is so efficient that the amygdala and hypothalamus …show more content…
The thalamus sends this information to the sensory cortex, where it is interpreted for meaning. The sensory cortex determines that there is more than one possible interpretation of the data and passes it along to the hippocampus to establish a clear picture from stored memory. The prefrontal cortex, or “thinking” areas of the brain, then considers this new information and asks itself, “Have I ever experienced this before? What is the best thing to do? What might the consequences be?” After processing the information, the prefrontal cortex sends a signal to the amygdala, which provides a measure of emotional output that is appropriate, based on the analysis of the prefrontal cortex. This experience is then carefully stored in the hippocampus. It may take a few moments to calm down after the stress response is