Can psychological trauma cause a chemical inbalance in the brain?

Well, yes in very general terms, but that could be misleading. One could say no in practical or specific terms, as the label ”chemical imbalance in the brain ” relates to theories which have been refuted.

In general terms though, there are chemical operations in brain function, and so it’s probably broadly true to say that at some level, psychological trauma would involve some level of chemical effect which might be considered an imbalance if perhaps not as outlined in the theories named “chemical imbalance in the brain”. One potential issue with using that label is it makes the idea that adding chemicals might correct for a psychological problem, which could tend have people accept drug therapies more readily than might be wise.

The whole body, nervous system and brain, physical, logical and emotional, are all part of a whole and interconnected. Stress affects the chemistry and operation of both brain and body. Many, perhaps most, illnesses are influenced by the brain and its psychology. But it’s a vastly complex system which we don’t fully understand, and even though we have done huge amounts of research, often at best what we have is a correlation of symptoms, without necessarily a full understanding of cause and effect.

Who’s to decide what the parameters are to declare a “chemical imbalance”? It might sound convincing and scientific. Even if the theory were true, chemical imbalance itself would probably never be an actual symptom to know or care about by itself, however.

This 2012 Time article presents evidence that childhood abuse causes structural changes in the brain, specifically shrinkage in parts of the hippocampus, the subiculum and presubiculum.

http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/15/how-child-abuse-primes-the-brain-for-future-mental-illness/

Stress is thought to enlarge the amygdala leading to higher risk for anxiety and depression.

It is possible. One study I’ve seen listed head trauma (including a mild concussion) as a potential trigger for an increase in depression in a predisposed person—this is on the chemical side of depression…in my case it was related to serotonin.

i’d say so .. though im no doctor i know events in my life have changed me as a person