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The Physical Toll That Trauma and Stress Can Have on the Body
Images of Zelenskyy show the physical toll that trauma and stress can have on the body: [npr.org]
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toured the devastation in Bucha this month — where bodies of civilians lay in the street and buildings were destroyed — his haunted face seemed to show the toll of Russia's war in Ukraine.
The 44-year-old's normally shaved face was bearded and lined, his forehead scrunched in distress and his eyes with heavy bags underneath.
They are the hallmark physical signs that can appear on anyone who is going through intense trauma and stress — particularly in wartime, according to Glenn Patrick Doyle, a psychologist who specializes in trauma.
[...] "The thing to understand about trauma and the body is that stress responses kind of hijack every otherwise 'normal' function of our body," he says. "The bodily processes that keep us focused and regulated on a normal day get kind of suspended for the duration of the stressor and replaced with processes designed to help us just get through the stressful experience."
[...] Much has been written [cbsnews.com] about the way U.S. presidents seem to age while in office. Often, images from the time they entered office and those from their final days at the White House are compared. The presidents often display more lines, much more gray hair or heavier bags under the eyes than they did on their first days in the White House.
[...] When we experience physical or emotional stress, the human body produces cortisol, the primary stress hormone. It contributes to the physical changes of the body under long-term stress, Dr. Nicole Colgrove, a specialist in otolaryngology at Virginia Hospital Center, told NPR.
Cortisol accelerates the loss of elasticity in skin, leading to a sagging or sunken appearance, she says. It also contributes to hair turning gray or white under intense stress.
A person undergoes more changes outside of just the physical, the longer they are exposed to stress and trauma, Colgrove and Doyle say.
"Over time, it's as if our actual personality or values systems get replaced by trauma responses, which can make living a life and having relationships almost impossible," Doyle says.
[...] "Many trauma survivors come through their experiences with negative beliefs about their worth or their efficacy," he says. They often believe the world is dangerous, unpredictable and not worth living in.
[...] "Psychologically, as people begin to heal, I've seen people regain their sense of humor and ability to connect and trust others, both of which are signs that healing is actually starting to happen," Doyle says. "But it can be a long road. A long, long road."
