The Chemistry of Depression (How Memory Is Inscribed)

The concept of the imprint is being confirmed by new research which demonstrates that extreme, early emotional trauma is inscribed in and locked into our system as a physiological event, with continuing later psycho-physiological effects. It is for this reason that preverbal trauma that occurs before the frontal, thinking area of the brain is mature is critical to our development, and continues to affect our personality, behavior, and health for a lifetime.

James McGaugh, of the University of California, Irvine, points out how under heavy emotion catecholamines (alerting chemicals--the neurojuices of vigilance) are secreted, which tend to seal-in the memory – in effect, inscribe it in the brain. It becomes, in my terms, the imprint. It means that extreme emotional trauma is locked-into our systems as a psycho-physiological event. It is not just psychological or physical, but rather both at once, and it can last a lifetime. So the feeling essence of a trauma, such as "no one wants me,” endures because it was too much to feel and integrate at the time of trauma; to do would have killed the living body. The imprint, then, changes our brain and drives our behavior. What Primal Therapy sets out to do is reestablish normal, healthy biologic set points and brain circuits. By experiencing fully the deviated circuits of the brain, we can now normalize neuronal networks.

Researchers have identified both the location of these traumatic imprints in the brain and the mechanisms by which they are stamped in permanently. Imprints during the critical period are engraved in the brain’s right hemisphere, particularly in the right limbic system, the “feeling” brain. The right brain develops earlier than the left. At birth, the right amygdala which is one of the key structures of the brain and which is responsible for appraising crude information, is active among the brain’s limbic structures, along with the brainstem, which goes on developing from early gestation until the first six months of life. The rest of the limbic system becomes active soon after and the right limbic system is in a period of accelerated growth until the baby’s second year. The hippocampus, another limbic structure, which registers what happens to us very early as fact, is mature by age two.

When there is traumatic experience during the critical early years, various brain structures that deal with vigilance such as the locus ceruleus of the brainstem help organize the chemical secretions for the imprinting. The hippocampus helps consolidate the imprinted memory, while the guts of the feeling are supplied by the amygdala. For example, it is the right amygdala and brainstem that will engrave whatever upset state the mother is in. (footnote: Incidentally, this idea of the "guts of the feeling" is my conclusion based on an ensemble of various research studies. It is inductive logic, not an established fact. ) The role of the amygdala may be simply a metaphor but there doesn’t seem to be any other structure that could fill the bill. Certainly, feelings are the property of the limbic area, and the amygdala becomes engorged when there is preverbal trauma. It bears the brunt of the trauma and seems to be bursting at the seams.

One also has to ask why the alerting neurochemicals aid in the imprint. Clearly, because great danger needs to be remembered as a guide to the future, of what must be avoided. And when we are in danger later on, the brain scans its history for the key early imprints to use as guideposts.

Jules used to intellectualize and beat around the subject endlessly never getting to any point. In our last group I said to Jules one sentence: “The bottom line, Jules.” He hesitated a split second, fell into my arms and shouted, “Help me – I hurt!” And so he took the first step toward health.