Trauma can affect every area of your life, especially your learning brain. The impact of a traumatic event can last long after the event itself has passed. However, many people still do understand all of the ways in which trauma can affect your physical and mental health. In fact, people who have not processed past trauma may not realize that some of their current difficulties could be related to the trauma they lived through.
For example, the fact that trauma can interfere with your ability to learn is not very widely known – yet this symptom of past trauma can hold many people back in their personal and professional pursuits. Here’s why trauma can make it harder to learn new skills and succeed in academic or workplace environments.
Trauma Affects Neurons
In order to truly learn and internalize a new skill, your brain needs to form new links between neurons, which carry information to different parts of the brain. This is how your brain synthesizes information and allows you to grasp new skills and tasks. However, trauma can actually affect the structures of your brain and inhibit neurons from firing. Basically, it can feel like new information goes in one ear and out the other, and you can’t integrate new knowledge into your existing skillset.
Dissociation
People who have suffered through trauma often struggle with dissociation. When you dissociate, it can feel like a disconnect between your mind and body. You might even feel like you’ve temporarily lost your sense of “self.” Dissociation is a protective mechanism when you’ve undergone trauma – your brain is trying to protect you from suffering the full extent of what you’ve been through. However, dissociating can make it practically impossible to focus and learn.
Ability to Focus
Just as dissociation can impact your ability to focus, so can other symptoms of trauma. For instance, trauma can lead to intrusive thoughts. Even if you genuinely want to concentrate on something else, it can feel like your mind always turns back to the traumatic event. Sometimes, it seems like reminders of the event are playing on a constant loop in the back of your mind.
Trauma can also make it difficult to get enough sleep. You might suffer from flashbacks or night terrors, which leave you tossing and turning all night. When you’re exhausted during the day, it’s tough to concentrate. Furthermore, you might feel like you have to be vigilant all of the time. If your body is on high alert, you can’t pay attention to the task you’re trying to learn.
Depression
Trauma can lead to depression. Unprocessed trauma and depression are deeply connected, and if someone does not have the chance to work through their trauma with a healthy support system, they can easily start experiencing symptoms of depression. In turn, depression can cause severe fatigue, making it hard to even get out of bed in the morning, let alone focus on learning a new skill. You might also lose interest in activities you used to be passionate about.
Emotional Regulation
Finally, trauma can interfere with emotional regulation. You might feel unsafe in places where you once felt comfortable. Yet no matter how times you tell yourself to calm down, the message doesn’t register with your brain and body. And when regulating your emotions becomes a challenge, it can be hard to branch out of your comfort zone, cooperate with others on new projects, or take the initiative to learn new things in the first place.
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Do you suspect that past trauma is interfering with your ability to learn? Therapy can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session.
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