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CW: Attack. This awesome depiction by @Lindsaybraman gives a neat illustrative view of the emotional roller coster ride of being in the ‘reptilian brain’. People with trauma, whether it’s single onset trauma (PTSD), child/ relational/abandonment trauma, neglect or adult onset Complex PTSD caused by domestic abuse or other multiple traumatic events, are given no choice but to choose between FIGHT/ FLIGHT / FREEZE / FAWN when they are triggered. When people with trauma are triggered, their pre-frontal cortex (which is responsible for thinking, decision making, and problem solving) goes offline, and the reptilian brain jumps into action! The reptilian brain is responsible for keeping us alive and can do basic functions such as running away from danger, shutting down, dissociating, fighting and defending, etc. People with a severe and repeated history of trauma have become so used to the expectation of trauma that they are nearly constantly in a state of FIGHT/FLIGHT/FLIGHT/FAWN, i.e. in the reptilian brain. This makes it virtually impossible to act emotionally calmly and in control, and the chances are, this individual will feel and act in a very distressed and overwhelmed way. Take an average person who has been lucky enough to not suffer with any significant trauma. Suppose they got very unlucky and they were on their way home one night and were mugged at knife point. In order to survive, their brain would jump into its reptilian mode and would immediately pick between fight/ fight/ freeze/ fawn. This person would not be acting calmly, they would be highly emotionally overwhelmed. Their response would be valid. The responses that people with trauma feel when they are triggered are exactly the same. The traumas that triggered their brain to go into reptilian mode were just as frightening and just as valid as the attacker with the knife. People with Complex PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder and ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’ are some groups of people who are frequently in reptilian brain, through no choice of their own. So please give them some compassion and understanding when they are struggling to control their overwhelming emotions.

CW: Attack. This awesome depiction by @Lindsaybraman gives a neat illustrative view of the emotional roller coster ride of being in the ‘reptilian brain’. People with trauma, whether it’s single onset trauma (PTSD), child/ relational/abandonment trauma, neglect or adult onset Complex PTSD caused by domestic abuse or other multiple traumatic events, are given no choice but to choose between FIGHT/ FLIGHT / FREEZE / FAWN when they are triggered. When people with trauma are triggered, their pre-frontal cortex (which is responsible for thinking, decision making, and problem solving) goes offline, and the reptilian brain jumps into action! The reptilian brain is responsible for keeping us alive and can do basic functions such as running away from danger, shutting down, dissociating, fighting and defending, etc. People with a severe and repeated history of trauma have become so used to the expectation of trauma that they are nearly constantly in a state of FIGHT/FLIGHT/FLIGHT/FAWN, i.e. in the reptilian brain. This makes it virtually impossible to act emotionally calmly and in control, and the chances are, this individual will feel and act in a very distressed and overwhelmed way. Take an average person who has been lucky enough to not suffer with any significant trauma. Suppose they got very unlucky and they were on their way home one night and were mugged at knife point. In order to survive, their brain would jump into its reptilian mode and would immediately pick between fight/ fight/ freeze/ fawn. This person would not be acting calmly, they would be highly emotionally overwhelmed. Their response would be valid. The responses that people with trauma feel when they are triggered are exactly the same. The traumas that triggered their brain to go into reptilian mode were just as frightening and just as valid as the attacker with the knife. People with Complex PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder and ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’ are some groups of people who are frequently in reptilian brain, through no choice of their own. So please give them some compassion and understanding when they are struggling to control their overwhelming emotions.

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