When the Alarm Won’t Turn Off: The Amygdala, Trauma, and Healing

Nov 24

We often talk about PTSD and trauma as though the wounds live only in memory and feeling—but the brain is deeply involved, especially a tiny almond-shaped part called the amygdala. In many people who've experienced trauma (especially repeated or complex trauma), that amygdala alarm system can get stuck in “on” mode. For female-identifying folks—who often face added layers of emotional labor, expectations, and risk—understanding how the amygdala behaves can be illuminating and incredibly useful.

**What the Amygdala Is (and What It Does)**

The amygdala is part of the limbic system—a set of brain structures involved in emotion, threat detection, and memory. You can think of it as an alarm system: it scans for danger, helps trigger fight‑/flight responses, and signals to other brain areas when something important (often emotional or threatening) is happening.

In normal, non-trauma conditions, the amygdala works alongside:

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) (logic, reasoning) that translates what the limbic systems detects can provide the brakes once safety is confirms, and help regulate emotional responses
The hippocampus, which connects context and sensory detail into memories
And not to oversimplify, several other parts (like the anterior cingulate, insula, etc.) that help process internal bodily states and emotional meaning

When these systems are in balance, we can experience fear or stress, but also calm down, assess safety, and integrate the event into narrative memory.

The Brain on Fire: What Happens During a Traumatic Event

Imagine you’re walking down a street late at night (this is hypothetical—stay with me). Suddenly you hear something behind you. Your amygdala immediately flags “possible threat,” and before your thinking brain even kicks in, your body floods with adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine. Your heart races, your senses sharpen, blood flow shifts, and your system readies to respond.

This is survival mode—not optional, not polite. It’s biological. The amygdala, in that moment, helps shift your brain away from higher-order thinking toward rapid response.

At the same time:

The hippocampus may get “overheated” (metaphorically)—its ability to form contextual, coherent memory suffers.
The prefrontal cortex often becomes less dominant—your top-down regulation (thinking, reasoning, “Is this really a threat?”) gets deprioritized.
Neurochemical and hormonal cascades shape how strongly that moment (or fragments of it) will get translated into the memory.

And since your brain is busy surviving, the trauma memory can remain stored in a fragmented, sensory, emotional, or bodily way if we don’t get proper support after the event. The memory will be stored less in coherent “story mode” like something that happened to you in the past, and more like you are still experiencing the event even if it’s been weeks or even years.

After the Storm: What Chronic Amygdala Overactivity Looks Like

Once the trauma is over, the brain doesn’t always “reset” neatly. For many, the amygdala remains hyper-responsive. The PFC’s brake is weaker, and memory systems are altered. The result: ongoing symptoms of PTSD or complex PTSD. Here’s how that often shows up:

1. Hyperarousal and Hypervigilance

Because the amygdala is primed to detect threat, many folks live in a state of alert. Even innocuous stimuli (a car backfiring, a door slamming) can provoke startle responses.

2. Intrusive Memories, Flashbacks, Nightmares

Fragments of emotional/traumatic memory may intrude unexpectedly—sometimes as visual or sensory impressions, sometimes as bodily sensations. Because the memory wasn’t fully processed or contextualized, it can feel as if it is happening in the present.

3. Memory and Concentration Difficulties (“Brain Fog”)

Because traumatic encoding often impairs hippocampal and PFC functions, many people struggle with organizing thoughts, attention, or remembering details.

4. Emotional Dysregulation

With the amygdala firing strong signals and the regulatory areas weaker, emotions can feel intense, volatile, or overwhelming. Mood swings, irritability, shame, guilt, or sudden emotional flooding are common.

5. Avoidance and Numbing

To protect against triggers, people with PTSD often avoid places, conversations, memories, or feelings that might provoke the amygdala. They may also emotionally “mute” portions of their inner life.

6. Altered Beliefs and Sense of Safety

Because the brain is biased toward threat, people may develop beliefs like “the world is unsafe,” “I can’t trust my body,” “I’m always at risk.” The amygdala’s messaging reinforces vigilance, distrust, and internal tension.

Women, Trauma, and the Amygdala: Why This Discussion Matters (Especially for Female‑Identifying Folks)

While the mechanics of the amygdala apply broadly, women and female-identifying folks often face additional layers:

Trauma types: Many women experience interpersonal trauma (sexual assault, domestic violence, childhood abuse). These traumas often entail betrayal, control, and relational dynamics that can amplify emotional regulation challenges and shame.
Emotional labor: There's social expectation to soothe, contain, care—even when feeling dysregulated internally. This can further exhaust PFC resources.
Hormonal interplay: Fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones may influence neural plasticity, emotional reactivity, and even amygdala reactivity (some research is exploring these links).
Cultural expectations: Women may be judged more harshly for “losing control,” or be told to be “calm” or “nurturing,” reinforcing shame around “having a brain on fire.”

So for many female-identifying individuals, trauma and PTSD can feel doubly lonely—or shaming—even though the brain-based explanations are not personal failings.

**Evidence-Based Treatments That Work with the Amygdala**

Understanding the brain doesn’t mean therapy has to be dry or mechanistic. Actually, some of the most effective trauma therapies are explicitly designed to help the brain regulate, process information, and heal. Below are a few key modalities—especially those that incorporate ideas about amygdala regulation, connectivity, and neuroplasticity.

In addition to talk therapies like psychodynamic psychotherapy and narrative therapy, the main modalities offered at Wild Hope Therapy in Ohio for the treatment of trauma are Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT).

1. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)

EMDR is one of the most well-supported therapies for trauma.

How it works (in relation to the amygdala/limbic system):

In EMDR, a traumatic memory is held in mind while the client engages in bilateral stimulation (often horizontal eye movements, taps, or auditory alternating stimuli).
Research suggests these bilateral movements can suppress amygdala activation, allowing memory reconsolidation in a less emotionally charged way.
Over time, connectivity improves between the amygdala and regulatory brain areas (e.g. PFC), promoting better emotional control and integration of traumatic memory.
In imaging studies, EMDR has been linked to changes in cortical and subcortical areas involved in emotion processing.
One specific finding: eye‑movement interventions following memory reactivation reduced spontaneous fear recovery 24 hours later, with stronger amygdala deactivation predicting stronger fear reduction.

In complex PTSD (multiple, developmental traumas), EMDR is often adapted (slower pacing, more stabilization, integration with parts work).

In short: EMDR helps “rewire” how the amygdala relates to memory and control, essentially teaching safer neural pathways over time.

Feminist Mental Health Writer said:

2. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy is another gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for trauma, particularly effective for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma.

How it works (in relation to the amygdala and the thinking brain):
CPT focuses on helping clients identify and challenge stuck points—rigid, unhelpful beliefs that developed as a result of trauma. These beliefs (for example, “It was my fault,” “I can’t trust anyone,” or “The world is completely unsafe”) keep the brain in a cycle of hyperarousal and emotional distress.
When a trauma memory activates the amygdala’s threat system, the logical, reflective part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) often goes offline. CPT helps rebuild that connection between emotion and reasoning by teaching clients to recognize automatic trauma-related thoughts and examine their accuracy and origins.
Through structured writing, reflection, and discussion, CPT strengthens pathways between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system—essentially helping the brain update old beliefs with more adaptive, reality-based perspectives. This process can calm the amygdala’s overactivation and reduce anxiety, shame, and guilt tied to the trauma.
Research using neuroimaging has shown that CPT leads to reduced amygdala hyperactivity and increased engagement of brain regions involved in cognitive control and emotional regulation. Over time, clients experience less physiological reactivity when recalling traumatic events and greater capacity to distinguish between past danger and present safety.
In cases of complex PTSD or chronic trauma exposure, CPT is often used alongside grounding or emotion regulation skills to support stability before and during belief restructuring.

In short: CPT helps reestablish communication between the emotional and rational parts of the brain, transforming rigid self-blame and fear into balanced, self-compassionate understanding—and allowing the amygdala to finally stand down.

Using You New Knowledge About The Amygdala On Your Healing Journey

Below is a list of practical steps you can experiment with or bring to therapy—ideas rooted in what we know about how the amygdala and trauma interplay:

Start with safety and stabilization
If your amygdala is wildly reactive, pushing too hard too fast may backfire. Begin with regulation tools (breathing, grounding, parts work) before deep memory work.
Use grounding / anchoring during emotional surges
Techniques like 5‑4‑3‑2‑1 sensory grounding, body scans, cold water on wrists, or “naming what you feel” help give your PFC a foothold back to calm.
Make sure your therapists paces your exposure
When revisiting traumatic memories, do so with a professional and expect the pacing to be gradual with regulation tools in place. This gives your brain room to relearn safety. You don’t need to suffer to heal.
Engage with modalities that speak directly to brain function
If possible, explore EMDR, CPT or work with a therapist who can speak to how trauma impacts the brain and nervous system directly.
Consistent practices over one-time fixes
Small daily practices (e.g. breath work, movement, journaling, mindfulness) can gradually shift baseline reactivity.
Use mind-body cross-overs
Movement activities (yoga, dance, walking) can act as “shock absorbers” and support your direct therapy work and trauma exploration
Leverage safe relational attunement
Connection with a trauma-aware therapist, peer support, or relational safety gives your brain repeated experiences of regulation and trust.
Track patterns (with curiosity, not judgment)
Notice triggers, times when your amygdala gets fiery, and times when you feel/have felt calmer. Over time, you’ll see patterns you can work with or replicate.
Prioritize rest, sleep, and self-kindness
The brain heals when it is well rested. When your system is exhausted, regulation becomes harder.
Advocate for trauma-informed care
Whether in medical settings, in relationships, or in systems you must navigate—surround yourself with providers who acknowledge the brain’s role in trauma.

Why This Brain Talk Helps (And Why It Matters)

Talking about the amygdala isn’t just academic, it’s empowerment. It helps shift blame off the self. When you understand that your brain is wired to protect—and that trauma changed your wiring—you can begin to see symptoms less as moral failing and more as adaptation.

For female-identifying folks especially, it can be deeply validating to name that it’s not you that’s broken—it’s a brain that got stuck in overdrive due to threat. This knowledge provides a foundation for reclaiming agency, compassion, and healing at the neural level.

Alarm systems, neural connections, and the stories we create to move forward

Trauma changes not just stories or feelings, but brain circuits. The amygdala—our built-in alarm center—can become overactive, hijacking memory, emotional regulation, and daily functioning. But neuroscience also gives us hope: many therapies, and trauma-responsive therapists, to rewire, reconnect, and calm the system.

If you're reading this and thinking, “Yes—my brain feels like it's always buzzing with alarms,” know that it’s not because you’re flawed. It’s because your brain has been doing its job in overdrive. Healing involves patience, self-compassion, and consistent, trauma-aware work—but it’s absolutely possible. Wild Hope Therapy is here to help clients in Columbus and Cleveland in-person, and throughout Ohio virtually through telehealth. Contact us at hello@wildhopetherapy.com to schedule your FREE consultation.

Stephanie Purdom