Dr Anna Woźniak, a doctor of social sciences and a psychotraumatologist, answers eleven key questions about how the experience of violence changes the way we think, remember and function day to day.
What should every person after trauma know about their own mind?
Trauma literally changes the way the brain works. The amygdala — the alarm centre — becomes overactive. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for logical thinking, functions less well. This is not weakness — it is a neurobiological response to threat.
Why is it hard to recount what happened logically after trauma?
Traumatic memories are stored differently from ordinary ones — in fragments, as images, sounds, bodily sensations. The cortisol released during trauma disrupts the hippocampus, which normally organises memories into a chronological narrative.
Gaps in memory and a chaotic account are documented neurological effects of trauma — not evidence of lying. This is crucial information for the services, the court and the family.
How does trauma manifest physically in the body?
Headaches, digestive complaints, muscle tension, a racing heartbeat with no clear cause — these are typical physical symptoms of trauma. The body „remembers” the threat and reacts protectively even to seemingly harmless stimuli.
Self-blame — why do we say „it’s my fault”?
Self-blame is an attempt to regain control: „if it’s my fault, I could have stopped it”. It is a defence mechanism, not an admission of guilt. It is important that those around the person do not reinforce this belief.
Is it possible to return to normal functioning?
Yes. With appropriate support — therapeutic and social — the vast majority of people after trauma recover full functioning. Trauma does not have to define a whole life.
You don't have to go through this alone. Trauma therapy — CPT, PE, EMDR — has proven effectiveness. A first step can be a conversation with the Feminoteka Helpline.