The 10-day window of opportunity.

New research has found that there’s a 10-day window of opportunity to process a traumatic event before neurological and synaptic changes in the brain happen - which can potentially turn one event into lifelong PTSD. This information offers hope and insight into the possibility of trauma resolution if offered within 10 days.

“A new study by Indian scientists has gained insights into how a single instance of severe stress can lead to delayed and long-term psychological trauma. The work pinpoints key molecular and physiological processes that could be driving changes in brain architecture.”

Anusha Krishnan, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalor, India

Taken from an article in EFT International -

“The team has been led by Sumantra Chattarji from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore.  They have shown that a single stressful incident can lead to increased electrical activity in a brain region known as the amygdala. This activity sets in late, occurring ten days after a single stressful episode.  Previously, Chattarji’s group had shown that a single instance of acute stress had no immediate effects on the amygdala of rats. However, ten days later, these animals began to show increased anxiety, and delayed changes in the architecture of their brains, especially the amygdala.”

This information around the 10-day window of opportunity can make a huge difference in how we treat traumatic events. Acting fast really can make a lifetime of difference to a person. Car accidents, drowning, witnessing a violent crime, or some other form of stressful event can be worked upon immediately to clear the emotional trauma before it sets in and becomes permanent.