Treating complex trauma is a Specialy of mine.  It is an area I know well from the inside out. Complex trauma (CPTSD) touches most people in the western world in one way or another.  Most of us do not even realize that we are dealing with complex trauma, but just notice some of its impact on our lives.  Many other problems people are dealing with stem from CPTSD, and healing from trauma is a worthwhile endeavor.  While healing from complex trauma is a lifetime journey, we can grow and learn how to care for ourselves along the path.  I am confident that our work together will support you on your journey to healing from complex trauma. 

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What is Complex Trauma?

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Gabor Mate, in his book “The Myth of Normal,” emphasizes the Greek origin of the word “trauma,” which means “wound” (p. 16). He further explains that trauma is an inner injury, a lasting rupture or split within the self caused by difficult or hurtful events. Mate asserts, “Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you” (p. 20).

 

There are various types of trauma. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a specific type of trauma that occurs in individuals who have experienced life-threatening events, such as soldiers in war, rape victims, and those who have witnessed terrifying situations where their lives or the lives of loved ones were at risk.  

 

Complex trauma, on the other hand, differs in that the traumatic events occurred and persisted during the child’s young and developing years. It was a repeating pattern of abuse and neglect or the repeated lack of needed emotional support for the child.  This type of trauma affects adults, teenagers, and children who experienced abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and harm in relationships during childhood.  That harm significantly impacts one's development, attachment, sense of self, emotional regulation, and overall well-being.  ​

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How to Recognize CPTSD?

 

Pete Walker lists some key developmental impacts of CPTSD in his book, "Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving"that occur in people dealing with complex trauma.  See if you recognize any of these in your own life.

-struggle to accept yourself the way you are

-not having a clear identity

-lack of self compassion, and having a strong inner critical voice

-struggle with self protection

-struggle to draw comfort from relationships 

-anxiety, inablity to relax, hypervigilant for the next thing that could go wrong

-holding back from full expression of your thoughts, feelings, ideas, creativity

-struggles with willpower and motivation

-lack of peacefulness

-struggle with self-care

-sensing that the world is not friendly (hard to see the gift that life is)

-low self-esteem

-lack of confidence

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5 Features of Complex Trauma

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Pete Walker explains that people dealing with CPTSD have 5 aspects that impact their lives: 

1. Emotional Flashbacks: are sudden feeling states that are felt in the body and emotions that

    may be overwhelming fear, shame, alienation, rage, grief, and depression.  These can be short

    or long, and intense or milder.  They usually start from a trigger that one may or may not be

    aware of.  Often people who are otherwise very successful in their lives will wonder why they

    have these moments of crippling emotional states that can lead their nervous systems into a

    fight or flight sensation.  ​

2. Toxic Shame: is the sudden feeling that you are a horrible person with no redeeming

    qualities.  It is the feeling that something is so wrong with you and that no one could possibly

    like you or find anything of value in you.  It causes people to want to hide themselves for fear

    that if someone sees them they will loathe them.  It causes a person to feel unworthy and that

    they lack value.

3. Self-Abandonment: is ignoring your inner needs for safety, emotional support, and care. For

    example, it is ignoring the feeling that you need to rest when tired so that you can finish

    a project in time.  It is ignoring your need to feel safe when you are in a group of people that

    you fear will judge you, and maybe do things you will regret later.  

4. Vicious Inner Critic:  This critic is an internal voice that is always on the lookout for you to

    make a mistake and harshly judge and criticize you for it.  This internal voice may be trying to

    protect you from making a fool out of yourself or inducing shame, but it is harsh and

    unyielding. This is the part that can shame you and shut down the protective part of you

    because it feels you are a bad person. 

5. Social Anxiety:  is feeling fear in social situations that cause one to either want to avoid being

    around people or make one want to hide.  It makes sense that a child who grows up with

    toxic shame and a strong inner critical voice will struggle with social relationships.  It is hard to

    trust that others will want to be there for you with comfort and support, when you struggle to

    know inside yourself that you even deserve that or that others can be safe.  Many people are

    able to put on a mask in social situations, and some feel like imposters.  We long to be our

    authentic selves and feel lonely and lost when we are not comfortable to show that part of

    ourselves.  ​​

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​If you are seeking support for symptoms of complex trauma, anxiety, depression, or other impacts of trauma, contact me today to see if we would work well together to bring some relief.

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