Trauma Informed Reactivity, Memory, and Resilience in Motion

Stress and Threat

Stress and threat can trigger two neural conduits simultaneously. First, they stimulate a rapid pathway to the amygdala, immediately activating the fight, flight, or freeze responses. Notably, this step is not precise, but it is very fast and signals all relevant conduits and systems in the body. Consequently, it also activates the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory.

The longer and more indirect pathway is by way of the cortex, where the information is being processed at a much more granular level, analyzing the information more accurately. As a result, the perceived stress/threat is given a meaning, provoking a conscious awareness of what is happening. When the stress/threat has been  evaluated and it has passed, the cortex is also responsible for triggering the brain to cease the fight, flight, or freeze responses, and restore the body to stasis (rest). 

Cause and Effect

When humans are confronted with stress or threats, the above-noted systems activate our natural alarm systems; physical, emotional, physiological, and cognitive. This is a completely normal self-protection mechanism that is triggered as a response. It is normal to feel fear, as this is what sustains our state of safety, and mobilizes resources when we are in danger. However, when there is no "let down" or relief from the danger, and it is perceived as perpetual, residual stressors/threats begin to cause damage to the body's other operating systems. (The body keeps the score - Bessel van der Kolk) 

Four Stages of Response

• Alarm - Start to comprehend the incident and event, and according to the signal sent by our individual systems, we appropriately adjust and prepare to respond. This could be a sense of shock and alarm. 
• Mobilization - Preparing for action - The resolve in the mind tries to develop and implement an action plan. This can be described as the "adrenalin dump" resulting in a rapid heart rate, sweating, and the body purging what it doesn't need.
• Action - Continuity of stress/threat is elevated but it is not in the immediate periphery (ignored). Tiredness sets in and injuries are sustained. The feelings of the affected person(s) may be suppressed or felt intensely.   
• Letdown - The affected person(s) may return to a "normal" routine. Take note: This can be when a person is asked how they are doing, the answer is "fine", "I'm alright", or "I'll be ok". This is normal. It is understood as having suppressed or denied emotional or physical injuries. This is a critical time for people, and an important time to consider the positive impacts of a Critical Incident Stress Management system (Debrief). 

Considerations for all involved:

• Primary Victims - Directly involved or exposed to the elements of the incident or disaster.
• Secondary Victims - Those with close family and personal ties to the primary. 
• Tertiary Victims - Those whose occupation/profession require them to respond to the incident/disaster.
• Quaternary Victims - Those who are concerned or caring members of the communities that are beyond the affected area. This can include cultural, professional, religious, distant familial ties, etc. 

The point is, we are all affected by an incident or disaster in some way. It is important to understand this if we are going to navigate the incident or disaster landscape. 

Incident or a perceived traumatic event and the response - Investigator(s), be mindful.

When an incident or event occurs, we rush to respond, save lives and property, and minimize the damage. Although we may be protecting and reducing the harm on the physical level, we are not always doing the same for the emotional. 

While navigating an interaction with a person who is believed to be at the scene of an incident, we must recognize that although we may obtain detailed information, there is a high potential that we can trigger a negative reaction. Understanding this is important, and requires careful consideration when selecting the appropriate investigator and other responders. Regardless of the type of incident, the story being told is someone else's account, not the account of the responder. 

When an incident is interpreted by a person, the level of detail processed, deconstructed, and stored is dependent on the connectivity and the responses of the neural conduits (pathways). There is a memory there, however, it must be reconstructed, and this process takes time and a skilled trauma-informed interviewer. 

Notably, while there are six different types of memory, for the purposes of this writing, and how it relates to navigating a post-incident interaction. We will focus on two: Script memory, and Narrative or Episodic Memory.

• Script Memory - This is the memory of routine events, such as our regular morning/evening routines.
• Episodic or Narrative Memory - This is based on our processing of information during an incident, such as a motor vehicle incident, a train derailment, an event where there were mass casualties, or it can be about a series of events. 

The episodic or narrative memory is generally the main subject of focus during an investigation (investigative interview). This is an area that requires consideration and understanding of what transpired, so that the responder can develop an appropriate and ethical response to navigate the interaction with the person(s) believed to have been affected by the incident. Moreover, understanding the responses and behavior of the affected person(s) is important, as we want to understand what happened while doing no harm to the person. If there are reasonable traumatic reactions and behaviors that have been triggered during the interaction, it is a good indicator that the interviewer/responder should reassess the approach, or refer the person to an appropriately trained practitioner.  

(Early Intervention Field Traumatology | Community and Workplace Traumatology & Herve et Al | Schacter, 1996, 2001 | FIS-International: Sins of Interviewing)