
One of the triggers activating the amygdala to imminent danger is time. The amygdala records the age of when the trauma occurred and alarms the victim when a close relative, such as a child of theirs reaches the age of the trauma causing the person to react out of character and unable to control his/her behavior.
Barbara recovered from sexual abuse that happened when she was ten years old and was going on with a normal life in a happy marriage, a successful career, and a mother of three beautiful children, the oldest child being a girl. Her daughter turned ten years old, and she suddenly had panic attacks and adamantly refused to attend church or have her children attend church. She immediately sought therapy, especially since she was not a stranger to this concept, giving credit to her highly competent therapists for her success as a mother and a nurse practitioner.
Barbara entered her therapist’s office very anxious and extremely disoriented since her panic attacks were out of control. Furthermore, she suffered from paranoia, and she was suspicious of anyone having a position of high authority. Her therapist composed both a genogram and a trauma timeline simultaneously discovering that her daughter is the same age as Barbra when the trauma occurred. Furthermore, the perpetrator was a religious figure, which explained Barbara’s sudden aversion to attending church despite being very pious and using religion as a resource. This insight alleviated her panic attacks since her prefrontal cortex, also known as the left side of the brain, recognized that danger is not lurking in the shadows. Barbara’s previous excellent mental health treatment helped her put her past in its proper perspective and embrace her religion as the rich resource she tapped into throughout her life. Once she gained insight into the matter, she resumed her religious activities as usual and took the same precautions to protect herself from harm that she used during her initial recovery.
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