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Danny is an young boy haunted by memories of fear.
Danny’s subconscious, developmental trauma memories can cause sudden outbursts anywhere, including his school classroom. Outbursts of screaming, guttural cursing, ripping papers or books, flipping desks, flying objects, then sprinting off down the hall, maybe slumping over in tears with heavy sobbing.
Others watching often see the behavior as “anger”.
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Danny’s memories relate to his mom: her dangerous, illegal street-activities, her punishment of him with extended, icy-cold showers, her angry beatings of him and his siblings, his insecurity and fear when she was taken away and incarcerated. There is also his absent father: read “more ‘fear of abandonment.'” Then add fear and the chronic vigilance required in Danny’s drug-infested, crime-riddled neighborhood.
Explicit memory
“Memory” is an amazing thing.
Neuroscience tell us that everyone’s brain builds “associations” or connections. Normally, inputs from our five senses get connected to events(with time and place) and linguistics, then stored.
We call the stored associations ‘memories’, explicit memories.
We can consciously recall explicit memories and describe them with words.
Implicit memory
‘Survival-mode’, or fear memories, are called implicit memories.
Implicit memories are stored differently. In times of overwhelming fear or stress, a sensory experience is linked only to an emotion, an extremely intense emotion. Storage of those memories is directed by ‘fear center’ of the brain (amygdala) with no connection to time, place or language, as in ‘scared speechless’.
These sensory-based, “implicit” memories hang-on virtually permanently.
The brain’s siren-center, the amygdala, grows disproportionately from chronic fear-usage.
Meanwhile, the chronic stress inhibits and diminishes the brain’s linguistic memory system in the hippocampus.
Chronic trauma, or toxic stress, during development, is beginning to change the physical architecture of Danny’s brain.
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Memory “Triggers”
A “trigger” is a sensory reminder in the present moment, matching to a stored emotion from an experience in his past.
Danny’s visible, outward behaviors start with the internal ‘trigger’.
The specific trigger is unseen to us and usually unknown to Danny, but it’s a powerful sensation and an overwhelming force engraved in Danny’s life.
Memory “triggers” can seem disconnected and can be perplexing and frustrating for all:
Maybe Danny’s seemingly unrelated ice-cold drink that came with school breakfast will trigger a memory of an ice-cold shower, or maybe a glimpse of someone’s untucked shirt or gold wrist watch will flash like in Mom’s fights. Maybe hearing someone’s whispered curse, or simply seeing a color or pattern like in Mom’s blouse. Maybe, simply a loud startling voice.
At times, the triggers are impossible to identify, even by Danny. The memory is not explicit, there are no words with it: it is only associated with intense fear emotion.
The room can be completely calm. It doesn’t matter. The fear and emotion are not in the room. They are firmly rooted in Danny’s memory. Implicit memories can be powerful, even controlling.
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After a fear memory is triggered, the neurobiological alarm rings. Danny’s heart-pounding biology is off to the races.
Danny suddenly becomes aggressive in class, shoving classmates, screaming loud, insulting curses, threatening someone, throwing books, throwing chairs, or maybe sprinting out of the building. Why? All Danny’s ‘commotion’ relates to a sensory connection in his amygdala, which triggered his aggressive fear response.
Danny instinctively uses aggression to divert his own mind from his own intense fear. It’s not related to anything Danny’s conscious of.
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What looks like anger to us is really Danny’s fear response.
The entire neurobiological chain reaction is nature’s logical defense to developmental trauma.
Whether abuse, family dysfunction or neglect, trauma impacts 2 out of 3 kids at some level.
Experts describe childhood trauma as a ‘national crisis’, an ‘epidemic’. Meanwhile, Danny is losing his right to equal access. Equal Access to an education.
Schools are not trauma-informed.
It’s morally wrong.
It’s urgent.
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Trauma-Informed adults CAN make a difference.
Get Informed. Click on links below.
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Informed already? Then, please “share” the blog post. Help grow awareness of this secret epidemic destroying childhoods.
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Toxic stress changes brain architecture CLICK HERE (2 minute video)
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What is a “trigger”? CLICK HERE
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Fear Memories: How the Brain Stores…. CLICK HERE
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Understanding the Behavioral and Emotional Consequences of Child Abuse CLICK HERE
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Creating Sanctuary: Toward Evolution of Sane Societies (Revised Ed.) Sandra L. Bloom, M. D. (Chapter 1 p 32-44) CLICK HERE Implicit vs. Explicit
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More on Danny : “Peek Inside a Classroom”, CLICK HERE
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Look for other parts of this series “Nowhere to Hide” on LucidWitness.com for more information.
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“Nowhere to Hide” series overview
click HERE
“Nowhere to Hide” series links
Each separate, individual article in the series focuses on a single component of the workings of developmental trauma, via real life examples in short “60 second” soundbites, akin to “Public Service Announcements” (PSAs). They are designed for sharing in social media networks to grow public awareness.
Trigger warning:
The children’s experiences in the vignettes are unvarnished. Their traumatic responses may trigger painful memories.
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“PSA” Links for social media
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Nowhere to Hide: Maria; Fight, flight or freeze
Nowhere to Hide: Andre’s Fear; What are Adverse Childhood Experiences?
Nowhere to Hide: Jamar’s Hyper-arousal
Nowhere to Hide: Roberto’s Dissociation
Nowhere to Hide: Danny’s Memory
Nowhere to Hide: Ashley’s “Normal” Education? Part 1
Nowhere to Hide: Ashley’s “Normal” Education? Part 2
More to come
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“Like” us at “Trauma-Informed Pedagogy” on Facebook
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Please share a PSA link to help grow public awareness of the impacts of developmental trauma. There are so many of us who’ve never heard of the overpowering life-long impacts.
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“Peek Inside a Classroom” series overview
The second original series, “Peek Inside a Classroom”, provides much more detailed looks inside my classroom, primarily focused on specific students: Jasmine, Danny and José.
Other children are captured in broader looks at education reform concepts: “Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm?” and “Effective Education Reform”, co-authored with Sandra L. Bloom, M. D..
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“Peek Inside a Classroom” series links
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Peek Inside a Classroom: Jasmine
Peek Inside a Classroom: Danny
Peek Inside a Classroom: Failing Schools or Failing Paradigm?
Peek Inside a Classroom: Effective Education Reform (with Sandra Bloom, M.D.)
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“Click for Resources…” series overview:
“Click for Resources” posts are the theory and research behind the narrative posts in “Nowhere to Hide” and “Peek Inside a Classroom”.
Each post in “Click for Resources “ is divided in three parts:
1) general press articles,
2) Research Journals or academic papers
3) social media, often with video.
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“Click for Resources” series links:
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1. Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Studies: CLICK HERE
2. Impacts of Childhood Trauma: Overview CLICK HERE
Click for Resources: Social Media on Impacts of Childhood Trauma
Click for Resources: Journal Articles on Impacts of Developmental Trauma
3. Trauma-Informed Schools CLICK HERE
4. Trauma-Informed Social Services CLICK HERE
5. Trauma-Informed Juvenile Justice CLICK HERE
6. Trauma-Informed Public Policy CLICK HERE
7. Childhood Trauma Training and Tools CLICK HERE
8. Book and Publication selections CLICK HERE
9. #800 phone numbers CLICK HERE
Developmental trauma, still “the elephant in the [class] room” for many adults.
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“Like” us at “Trauma-Informed Pedagogy” on Facebook
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