Often, traumatic or stressful experiences from childhood are a hidden source of stress in adults. Because the memory is so painful, or because the experience happened at such a young age, it is often repressed from conscious memory. The biology of PTSD is different from chronic stress. The hormone of severe stress is adrenaline. It works quickly to mobilize our bodies for extreme reactions to serious threat. Adrenaline reactions are uncomfortable and require action to resolve the situation. The hormone of chronic stress is cortisol, also made by the adrenal gland. It mobilizes the body’s resources for the long haul of stress. Some of the most common stress- related illnesses, such as depression and metabolic syndrome, are associated with high cortisol levels.

It may be that in PTSD the adrenaline reaction continues and the cortisol reaction is absent or not able to overcome the sense of immediate threat. We know that in PTSD, adrenaline reactions can be triggered by events that remind the person of the initial traumatic event or events, such as a loud noise for a combat survivor or an aggressive male stranger for a rape survivor. In the case of early childhood trauma, sometimes the triggers are obscure but nevertheless create serious reactions. Part of the mechanism of PTSD is the firing of the amygdala, which kindles many reactive pathways in our thinking brains. We cannot influence this kindling by thinking because it happens too quickly and we have no control over the amygdala from our thinking brains.

Treating PTSD is notoriously difficult. Dr. Horton, after seeing a number of people afflicted with PTSD in his practice, developed a workshop focused on the natural healing of emotional wounds.

The workshop sought to look at potential remedies for these experiences. Dr. Horton asked participants to put each possible remedy into one of three boxes: one for things which were always helpful to anyone; the second for things that were not helpful and could be harmful; and the third for things that were relative—they could be helpful or harmful depending on the person and the circumstances. The groups identified five things that they felt were always healing to everyone: love, self- understanding, a commitment to get better, hope, and the acceptance of life’s gifts. This conclusion is consistent with the Inner Game approach. The notion that we have inherent resources that cannot be disturbed or destroyed by trauma is true and gives hope.

A major redefining process is involved in resolving PTSD. Healing begins with an understanding and acceptance that the stress reactions are triggered by associations with events in the past that cannot be changed. The reactions are separate from the self. With this clarity, the inner resources can become good friends, and life experience can shift to learning and enjoyment. What if stress from the past has left a lasting effect on the body? Stress from childhood can change the structure of the brain, so the amygdala is more likely to respond to stressors. We see many people whose nervous systems have been up- regulated by stress. Their bodies often have symptoms that have accumulated from years of increased stress. The tools of the Inner Game can help begin the process of relieving the body of the past harmful effects of stress.

Many other approaches are also helpful, including massage, traditional Chinese medicine with acupuncture, nutritional supplements, meditation, exercise, yoga, psychotherapy, and medications. Dr. Herbert Benson wrote about the Relaxation Response, an innate tendency of the body to unwind, brought on by simple meditation techniques. When individuals utilize the best of modern medicine, and integrative medicine, and combine them with their best self- care, amazing results are possible. Individual learning is key, because every person is unique. One size does not fit all. Also, in childhood we learn from so- called mirror neurons— that is, we mirror or copy what we see in our family and culture. We may also mirror or copy the inner emotions and thoughts of those that influence us. The new medical models of psychological change focus on neuronal plasticity, which allows the growth of new circuitry anytime in life. Neuronal plasticity allows for the growth of fresh circuits that transcend past experiences.