Final answer:
Emotional responses in trauma patients, especially those with PTSD, can be triggered by reminders of their trauma, activating the amygdala and releasing stress hormones that intensify the fight-or-flight response. Cultural display rules also affect how emotions are expressed following trauma. Avoidance of triggers is common to prevent uncomfortable emotional reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emotional responses in trauma patients can be triggered by a variety of circumstances that remind them of their traumatic experiences. Most notably, when individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) encounter reminders of their trauma, they may experience intense emotional and physiological reactions. Such triggers can range from specific sensory stimuli such as sights, sounds, or smells that were present during the traumatic event, to situations that resemble or symbolize aspects of the trauma, such as anniversaries of the event or similar locations.
When a trauma patient encounters such a trigger, their brain, specifically the amygdala, may perceive this as a threat, causing a cascade of neurochemical reactions. This may result in the release of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, activating the sympathetic nervous system's fight-or-flight response and leading to emotional disturbances. Elevated levels of neurotransmitters like glutamate are associated with strengthened memories of the stressful event, which form part of the arousal theory posited by Christianson (1992). People with PTSD often have hyperarousal, showing heightened reactions to these triggers.
Beyond individual differences, cultural factors also play a role. Cultural display rules influence the expression of emotions, and while recognizing facial expressions of emotions is universal, the demonstration of these expressions varies across cultures. In any case, trauma patients may often try to avoid such triggers to deter the re-experiencing of uncomfortable emotions and memories associated with their trauma.