Traumatic stress and attachment.

Abstract

Traumatic stress in the normal individual results in activation of the sympatho-adrenal system causing a rise in noradrenaline and adrenaline, stimulation of the thyroid system causing increased secretion of thyroid hormones and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system resulting in elevated levels of cortisol. Studies in animals and in humans with posttraumatic stress disorder indicate that chronic traumatic stress can result in dissociation of the sympatho-adrenal medullary and the HPA system resulting in sustained elevations of the former system but suppressed or altered ACTH-corticoid responsivity. As reviewed by Henry, self preservative behavior with its emphasis on power and control, is associated with catecholamines, thyroid hormones and left hemispheric functioning while species preservative behavior, with its emphasis on attachment, familiarity, reverence and synchronicity, is associated with cortisol, oxytocin and right hemispheric functioning. Traumatic stress seems to disturb this hemispheric balance which is reflected in the suppression of cortisol and loss of attachment behavior and other species preservative right hemispheric functions.