Behavior

Of course, learning is just one of the aspects impacted by trauma exposure. After a traumatic incident, the reasoning part of the brain gives way to the more primitive mid-brain where everything is about instinct and survival (; Kuban & Steele, 2008; Perry & Szalavitz, 2006). Cognitive processes become limited while sensory reactions to terror dominate. As a result, a traumatized child reframes memories and behaviors in ways that may not make sense to other people, and even the child him/herself; but make great sense to a brain grasping to protect itself from danger. Negative behaviors such as aggression, fighting, assaultive behavior, and emotional detachment are normally the first reactions generally identified as a change since the trauma (Kuban & Steele, 2008). Moreover, revenge is a constant theme when the incident has been a violent one. Intrusive images or flashbacks occur from time to time with the traumatized children. For example, an 11-year-old girl with her head severely injured in an earthquake still suffered from extreme headache four years after the earthquake whenever she heard loud bang. In addition, whenever she heard about news of an earthquake, she could not sleep all night long but re-experienced her fearful experience in the ruin. Traumatic dreams are also significant reactions of trauma. A seven-year-old boy in Sichuan, mainland China, told his counselor about his recurrent nightmare that his parents died and he became an orphan staying in a grass hut which was leaking and dripping in rain after the earthquake. Moreover, inappropriate age-related behaviors such as clinging to mother, bed-wetting, and other regressive behaviors are also reactions of trauma. For example, a seven-year-old girl started bed-wetting when she overheard that her parents were going to divorce.

Following a trauma, the reactions which can be experienced can impact one's behavior as well as emotional and psychological functions. When a child or adolescent, experiences a trauma, arousal is the neurophysiological response. Hyperarousal is one of the reactions of trauma, which is a specific cluster of PTSD symptoms. This cluster includes symptoms that stem from experiencing high levels of anxiety, such as having a difficult time staying asleep, having outbursts of anger, difficulty concentrating, acting constantly "on guard" for ubiquitous danger, and easily startled. Hyperarousal leads to activation of the automatic nervous system, increased muscle tension and released hormones into the blood and reduced or intensified responses of the immune system (van der Kolk et al., 1996).

                    http://www.asktheinternettherapist.com/articles/ptsd-treatment-symptoms/