Complex Trauma: What It Is and How to Heal
The past few decades have seen a growth in awareness of trauma. In particular, you might regularly see the term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as you scroll each day. When trauma and PTSD are placed in an accurate, helpful manner, this is a positive trend. That said, it rarely includes parallel issues like complex trauma and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD).
PTSD can result from a single traumatic event. However, complex trauma involves ongoing, chronic, and relentless traumatic events. It can be harder to recognize and thus harder to diagnose. At least 3 percent of Americans are currently dealing with C-PTSD but the number of undiagnosed cases is surely higher.
What Can Cause Complex Trauma?
The "ongoing, chronic, and relentless traumatic events" mentioned above come in many forms. They are typically long term and make the complex trauma survivor feel as if there is no escape. Some specific examples include:
Neglect or abandonment
Sexual abuse or incest
Other forms of abuse, for example: physical, emotional, and medical
Torture
Being kidnapped, trafficked, or prostituted (or any combination of the three)
Life in a war zone or high crime location
When a child is forced into the role of an adult or caretaker
A person is at a greater risk of C-PTSD if the complex trauma occurred during childhood, was perpetrated by someone they know, or more than one form of complex trauma was happening at the same time.
The Impact of Complex Trauma
When a human of any age perceives a sudden, high level of threat, their bodies are designed to elicit a stress response. Ideally, this reaction (commonly referred to as fight-or-flight) guides them to safety and then dissipates. But what if the trauma is complex and just keeps going?
A victim of complex trauma can lose the ability to discern safety from danger. They get locked into a state of high alert as if their stress response is stuck. This can have a wide range of negative effects on one’s mind and body. C-PTSD is one of them.
For starters, someone with C-PTSD will display some of the same symptoms as someone with PTSD. For example:
Emotional dysregulation
Flashbacks and nightmares
Intrusive thoughts
Hyper-vigilance
Sleep disturbances
Memory loss
Physical issues like muscle aches and digestive concerns
Avoidance of any reminders of their painful experience
Low self-esteem
But when C-PTSD is the diagnosis, they may also present with:
Complete lack of trust
Social withdrawal
Angry outbursts
Losing hope that they can recover
Feeling different from everyone and believing no one “gets” what they’ve been through
Fortunately, under the guidance of a trauma-informed therapist, they can process and resolve the trauma using methods like:
Self-Help
Some stress management and relaxation techniques to consider:
Yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises
Mellow music
Aromatherapy
Keeping a journal
Getting outdoors — ideally in sunlight
Safeguarding the basics (daily exercise, healthy eating choices, and regular sleep patterns)
Creating a support system you trust and talk with
All of these steps buttress the work you’ll do with your therapist.
Therapy
Left unchecked, complex trauma can influence and hamper every facet of your life. It won’t “fix” itself. Therefore, a giant step is to overcome self-blame or guilt and reach out to a mental health professional. Here are some of the proven approaches that can dramatically improve the quality of your life:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
Somatic therapy
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
Your weekly sessions are where you can share your experiences and learn more about how they affect you. The therapy room is a safe space to open up, explore, and evolve. I’d love to help get you started on this journey of healing.