Part Four: Chapter 13, Trauma and Emotional Relearning Summary and Analysis

Horrific memories, like a school shooting, become burned into memory. Like war veterans, children can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) so that small things can trigger the recall of the violence, such as the sound of a siren, the smell of smoke or sudden noises. Unlike surviving a natural disaster, surviving an attack leaves a residue of fear and mistrust that makes the victim in a state of alertness for another attack. Children who suffer from long-term repeated abuse, even mild verbal abuse, can develop the same hypersensitivity to threats as someone who suffers post-traumatic stress. A sense of helplessness makes a difference in whether or not a child can overcome the effects of abuse or attack. Physical changes in the brains of PTSD sufferers include: increased production...