Do benzos mimic trauma in the brain?

I am listening to this book about anger called "Rage: A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Explosive Anger", and I really identify with the chapter about trauma, not because I had a traumatic incident in my life, but because I have this kind of anger.  I am easily startled, I feel like I am fighting for my life, even when the threat is obviously not that great, and I have suspicious and paranoid thinking, always not feeling safe in my surrounding.  The guy in the book says this can be caused by a shrinking hippocampus.

 

The idea is that the hippocampus is actually shrunken because of the trauma, but I don't think I had any trauma.  So is it possible that benzos shrunk my hippocampus? 

 

It would explain a lot.  I have tried searching for this but I'm not finding anything clear cut, so I thought I would ask if anyone had heard of this. 

I know all the stress I've been through, the god-awful anxiety, has probably shrunk my hippocampus. But I'd rather believe there are ways of regenerating it rather than contemplating on the negative. This article https://sharpbrains.com/blog/2015/11/04/can-you-grow-your-hippocampus-yes-heres-how-and-why-it-matters/ explains things that I'd like to keep incorporating in my life. The brain is very fragile, but it doesn't mean that all is lost.

I had that period of total anger when I was reducing my klonopin. It lasted for a few months as I am tapered down it went away. I sure hope my brain did not shrink. Or did my shrink, shrink?

It may be that it's not so much the brain shrinking, but the hippocampal GABA receptors are not working properly, and therefore not keeping the traumatic, intrusive and unwanted thoughts and memories at bay.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29101315

It may be that it's not so much the brain shrinking, but the hippocampal GABA receptors are not working properly, and therefore not keeping the traumatic, intrusive and unwanted thoughts and memories at bay.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29101315

 

This makes a lot of sense to me.  I didn't realize GABA receptors had anything to do with the hippocampus. 

Benzos probably haven't caused structural damage in most of us but what we have suffered is damage, nonetheless. The fact that it is functional rather than structural is little consolation when the effectsare the same.

 

I do believe that it is reversible though.

I know all the stress I've been through, the god-awful anxiety, has probably shrunk my hippocampus. But I'd rather believe there are ways of regenerating it rather than contemplating on the negative. This article https://sharpbrains.com/blog/2015/11/04/can-you-grow-your-hippocampus-yes-heres-how-and-why-it-matters/ explains things that I'd like to keep incorporating in my life. The brain is very fragile, but it doesn't mean that all is lost.

 

The hippocampus plays a huge role in benzodiazaphine wd and recovery.  All of these items he mentions in the link are great for fostering Hippocampal growth.....

 

 

It may be that it's not so much the brain shrinking, but the hippocampal GABA receptors are not working properly, and therefore not keeping the traumatic, intrusive and unwanted thoughts and memories at bay.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29101315

 

Thanks for posting this. It aligns well with the other research.

The hippocampus is one of the most densely populated GABAR regions of the brain.  I'm glad that there are some posts coming up about how important this region of the brain is to our recovery.  It's very very plastic.

I am listening to this book about anger called "Rage: A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Explosive Anger", and I really identify with the chapter about trauma, not because I had a traumatic incident in my life, but because I have this kind of anger.  I am easily startled, I feel like I am fighting for my life, even when the threat is obviously not that great, and I have suspicious and paranoid thinking, always not feeling safe in my surrounding.  The guy in the book says this can be caused by a shrinking hippocampus.

 

The idea is that the hippocampus is actually shrunken because of the trauma, but I don't think I had any trauma.  So is it possible that benzos shrunk my hippocampus? 

 

It would explain a lot.  I have tried searching for this but I'm not finding anything clear cut, so I thought I would ask if anyone had heard of this.

 

I read a UNY study that said benzo W/D can release as much kainic acid into the gaba receptor complex as a base ball bat hit to the head can.  Problem B/Z W/D is it is like getting hit in the head everyday for years!

 

GO SLOW people, real slow!  Turn this into a pillow fight, no wooden-bats please

Yes. The Kainic acid overactivity can certainly raise the Calcium Levels in the GABA Receptor Complex, possibly making the healing much slower. I've read some of these studies, too, and it certainly explains why it takes so long to heal for some folks.

I know all the stress I've been through, the god-awful anxiety, has probably shrunk my hippocampus. But I'd rather believe there are ways of regenerating it rather than contemplating on the negative. This article https://sharpbrains.com/blog/2015/11/04/can-you-grow-your-hippocampus-yes-heres-how-and-why-it-matters/ explains things that I'd like to keep incorporating in my life. The brain is very fragile, but it doesn't mean that all is lost.

Great article. I do exersize but need to change up the way I eat. Just like last time I have to remember to eat- a bit nauseous at times now - in normal times I love to eat and now it’s a chore