The mind is a complex network of emotions, memories, and experiences that shape who we are. For some, parts of this network become tangled, leading to a challenging condition called Complex PTSD (CPTSD). Understanding its complexities and finding a holistic path to healing can empower individuals to reclaim their lives. This post will define complex PTSD, illustrate its development through specific examples, explain its impact on the brain and body, and provide actionable steps toward healing.
Defining Complex PTSD
To begin understanding Complex PTSD, it is a psychological disorder that often develops from prolonged exposure to traumatic events, especially those involving interpersonal relationships. Unlike traditional PTSD which may arise from a single event, complex PTSD results from ongoing trauma. Examples of events that can lead to CPTSD include:
Emotional Abuse: Consistent belittlement or manipulation in relationships can cause significant emotional scars.
Childhood abuse or neglect: Physical, emotional, sexual, or neglectful treatment during childhood. Even witnessing it repeatedly can lead to stored trauma.
Domestic violence: Experiencing ongoing violence or abuse within a romantic relationship.
War or conflict: Witnessing or being involved in violent or dangerous situations.
Torture or captivity: Being subjected to prolonged physical or psychological abuse.
Human trafficking: Being forced or coerced into commercial sex work or other exploitative situations.
Repeated exposure to violence: Witnessing or being involved in multiple traumatic events over time.
CPTSD can also develop in individuals who have experienced a single, extremely severe traumatic event, such as a near-death experience or a hostage situation.
This condition shares symptoms with PTSD but also includes additional features. Individuals may struggle with emotional regulation and self-perception, leading to feelings of guilt or shame. They may feel disconnected from themselves or face difficulties forming strong relationships, which can feel overwhelming.
How Complex PTSD Develops
Complex PTSD can stem from various traumatic sources, not just in childhood:
Childhood Trauma: For instance, children who experience consistent abuse might develop CPTSD with symptoms that last into adulthood. Studies show children who are abused are 7-10 times more likely to develop mental, emotional, or physical health issues later in life.
Ongoing Trauma in Adulthood: Situations like prolonged workplace bullying can lead to feelings of helplessness, resulting in CPTSD.
Multiple Traumatic Events: Those who have faced various traumatic events, such as natural disasters or multiple losses, are at a higher risk for developing Complex PTSD.
These experiences create ongoing cycles of trauma, where individuals develop coping mechanisms. Unfortunately, many of these behaviors can be harmful in the long run.
How Complex PTSD Affects the Brain and Body
Neuroscience shows that traumatic experiences can significantly alter brain functioning and human physiology:
Brain Changes
Amygdala Activation: The amygdala, which processes fear and emotions, becomes hyperactive. This can lead to constant anxiety and an often overwhelming feeling of being unsafe.
Hippocampus Reduction: Trauma can shrink the hippocampus, making it difficult to create new memories or accurately process past trauma. Research indicates that trauma survivors may show a 10-20% reduction in hippocampal volume.
Prefrontal Cortex Impact: The prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning and judgment, may become less active, affecting decision-making and emotional regulation.
Hormonal Changes
Trauma can lead to changes in hormone levels, particularly cortisol. High cortisol levels from chronic stress can increase anxiety and exacerbate trauma symptoms.
Physiological and Psychological Effects
Complex PTSD also affects the body:
Somatic Symptoms: Individuals may experience physical signs of emotional pain, such as chronic fatigue and gastrointestinal issues.
Emotional Dysregulation: Those affected might experience intense emotions that fluctuate rapidly, causing confusion and distress.
Resilience Issues: It's crucial to understand that individuals with CPTSD often display remarkable resilience despite their struggles.
Common Misunderstandings about Complex PTSD
It is easy to misjudge someone's experience with complex PTSD. Individuals might seem "functional"—holding jobs and maintaining relationships—while wrestling with their internal battles. This misunderstanding can create stigmas around our mental health and caring for our mental and emotional well-being, just as we would attend to physical health. It’s essential to acknowledge that what our society labels as "normal" capable individuals can struggle with hidden psychological issues like anxiety and depression, and do feel fear, doubt, insecurity, uncertainty, and a range of emotions - as all human beings do, and are wired to do.
According to "The Body Keeps the Score," complex trauma refers to the profound and lasting impact of repeated, pervasive traumatic experiences, often interpersonal, which can significantly alter the brain's functioning, leading to a persistent state of "fight, flight, or freeze" response even when no immediate threat exists, manifesting not only in psychological symptoms but also through physical sensations and disruptions in daily life due to the body's ongoing attempt to manage the unresolved trauma; essentially, the body "keeps the score" of these experiences by storing them physically, impacting how a person interacts with the world around them.
Key points about complex trauma as described in the book:
Physiological changes:
Trauma can lead to alterations in the brain's stress response system, causing an overactive "alarm" that triggers excessive stress hormones even in non-threatening situations, impacting bodily functions like sleep, digestion, and immune response.
Dissociation:
People experiencing complex trauma might dissociate, mentally detaching from their experiences as a coping mechanism, which can lead to difficulty remembering details or feeling disconnected from their emotions.
Impact on relationships:
The constant feeling of threat can make it difficult to trust others and maintain healthy relationships.
Interpersonal nature:
Complex trauma often involves repeated abuse or neglect within close relationships, further exacerbating the psychological impact.
Need for specialized treatment:
Healing from complex trauma requires approaches that address both the psychological and physical aspects of the experience, including therapies like EMDR, mindfulness practices, and body-centered therapies.
Dr. Gabor Maté describes complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) as a chronic disconnection from oneself and others. He believes that trauma is "not what happens to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you".
To Maté, trauma is a contributor to “illness of all kinds”, as well as causing personal fragmentation, disconnection from other people, shame, a loss of flexibility in how we behave, and alienation from the present.
Key characteristics of C-PTSD
A negative view of oneself
Lack of compassion for oneself
Self-attack
Feelings of worthlessness, shame, and guilt
Difficulty controlling emotions
Difficulty connecting with others
Relationship problems
Impact on Health According to Maté
C-PTSD can severely impact a person's mental and physical health. Maté believes that trauma contributes to "illness of all kinds". He also believes that how we cope with trauma shapes our personality, which can make us more susceptible to a range of medical conditions.
Maté and Healing C-PTSD
Maté believes that compassion from both the therapist and the client is core to the healing process. He also believes that therapists need to learn a deeper engagement to facilitate relational healing.
Coping Strategies
Some strategies for coping with C-PTSD include therapy, meditation, and spiritual connection.
Recognizing Signs and Understanding Complex PTSD
Identifying the signs of complex PTSD is essential for seeking the right help. Here are common indicators to better understanding complex PTSD:
Intense Emotional Reactions: For example, a minor criticism at work might spark intense feelings of anger or inadequacy. Or a friend not showing up at an event that you attended, but didn't make arrangements to go together.
Chronic Feelings of Worthlessness: Individuals may frequently feel they do not deserve love or happiness, even in supportive environments, which may cause them to withdraw, push away, or even be unkind to those offering genuine support.
Dissociation: A person might feel detached from their surroundings during stressful situations. It is a feeling of numbness or indifference to the suffering of others.
Hypervigilance: Constantly feeling on edge can lead to burnout and extreme fatigue. A feeling of having to stay on top of everything - chronic urgency.
Intrusive Memories: Individuals may find themselves reliving past traumas unexpectedly. Particularly in stressful moments, the 'go-to' thoughts tend to be about past events of being hurt, harmed, neglected, etc. and those thoughts, if not processed, re-trigger the emotional and physical responses in the body, though not directly related to the current day stressor.
Mood Swings: Rapid emotional changes can confuse both the individual and their loved ones. A person may be in a joyful state, but quickly anger over a topic that follows, even if it isn't something that would ordinarily equate to that response - such as a dish not being washed correctly, or someone using ingredients in the cupboard to prepare a meal that they didn't know was going to be used (unrelated to having an allergy).
Relationship Difficulties: Fear of intimacy can hinder the formation of close bonds. A person may stop dating when it appears that emotional closeness is arising. Or, they may feel a need to control or manipulate the other person and how they act, feel, or behave, to ensure that they feel safe to have a relationship with them.
Avoidance Behavior: Avoiding places or people related to trauma can limit social interactions.
Self-Sabotaging Behaviors: Engaging actions that undermine their success or happiness.
10. Persistent Feelings of Hopelessness: A pervasive sense of despair may make it hard to see a brighter future.
Steps to Help Yourself Heal From Complex PTSD
Healing from complex PTSD is a multifaceted journey. Here are key steps to support recovery:
Seek Professional Help: Work with a therapist familiar with complex PTSD to guide your healing and trauma-informed practitioners who understand holistic and somatic healing.
Practice Holistic Healing: Engage in yoga or meditation to foster mental and physical connections. Studies show that yoga can reduce anxiety in up to 50% of participants.
Consider Somatic Healing: Focus on bodily sensations to release stored trauma and promote healing. This includes somatic movement or working with a practitioner who can help guide the process.
Explore Spirituality: Connecting with spiritual practices can offer purpose and support.
Utilize Creative Outlets: Expressing feelings through art or writing can foster healing and understanding.
Develop Emotional Regulation Skills: Learn techniques to manage emotions, enhancing daily functions, with an emphasis on techniques to manage, not to numb, avoid, or manipulate, but to learn how to feel and process emotions.
Nurture Supportive Relationships: Surround yourself with compassionate individuals who validate your experiences. This includes those who respect your boundaries, and you learn how to identify and verbalize your needs that identify what your boundaries are.
Prioritize Self-Care: Invest time in hobbies or activities that uplift you, as well as attend to your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Educate Yourself: Understanding complex PTSD empowers you to advocate for yourself better.
More Than Just "Talk" Therapy
Talk therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) play an important role but often address symptoms rather than the core trauma itself. Since trauma can be stored in the body, it is vital to include somatic practices that reconnect you with your physical sensations. This method aids in processing trauma more holistically, facilitating deeper healing.
Shame and Guilt with C-PTSD are Learned Behaviors
Shame and guilt can become learned behaviors in individuals with complex PTSD (C-PTSD) because repeated exposure to traumatic experiences, often within a power dynamic where the victim feels responsible for the abuse, can lead them to internalize negative beliefs about themselves, attributing blame to their actions and creating a deep-seated sense of worthlessness and flawed identity, thus perpetuating feelings of shame and guilt.
Key points about how shame and guilt become learned behaviors in C-PTSD:
Internalized blame:
When repeatedly subjected to abuse, a victim may come to believe they are somehow responsible for the trauma or told that they are to blame, leading to self-blame and guilt as a coping mechanism.
Negative self-perception:
This internalized blame can create a distorted self-image, where the individual sees themselves as inherently flawed or defective, leading to persistent shame.
Power dynamics:
In situations where the abuser holds significant power, the victim may feel powerless to resist, further reinforcing the belief that they are responsible for the abuse. As may be the case where the abuser is an adult towards a child, or a male dominating over a female.
Lack of validation:
If the victim does not receive support or validation from others regarding the traumatic experiences, they may be more likely to internalize the abuse and blame themselves, particularly if they had also been told it was their fault, it wasn't true (or an exaggeration by the victim) or their experiences were minimized by others, which is a lack of validation.
Developmental impact:
For children experiencing complex trauma, the ability to understand personal responsibility may be underdeveloped, making them more prone to internalizing blame and shame. This means that because they experienced adults misappropriating behavior towards them, or others, then it becomes the model that teaches them they are the problem.
The Promise of Neuroplasticity
One of the most hopeful aspects of healing from complex PTSD is neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to form new connections. This means that anyone can change their thought patterns and emotional responses, regardless of past experiences. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt due to experience. It is an umbrella term referring to the brain's ability to change, reorganize, or grow neural networks. Each individual deserves connection, love, and support.
To promote neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt and change, you can incorporate activities like regular exercise, learning new skills, engaging in mentally stimulating hobbies, practicing mindfulness, getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet rich in healthy fats, and exposing yourself to new environments and experiences; essentially, challenging your brain with novel tasks and social interactions.
Key health tips for enhancing neuroplasticity:
Physical Exercise:
Aerobic activities like running, swimming, or brisk walking are highly effective in boosting neuroplasticity by increasing blood flow to the brain.
Cognitive Stimulation:
Learn a new language or skill: Playing a musical instrument, taking up a new hobby like painting, or learning a new language forces your brain to form new neural connections.
Do puzzles and brain games: Engage in activities that challenge your problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.
Read regularly: Exposing yourself to new information and concepts stimulates the brain.
Mindfulness and Meditation:
Practices like mindfulness meditation can help improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive function.
Quality Sleep:
Adequate sleep is crucial for brain repair and consolidation of new memories, promoting neuroplasticity.
Healthy Diet:
Omega-3 fatty acids: Include sources like fatty fish (salmon, tuna), flaxseeds, and walnuts in your diet as they are important for brain health.
Antioxidants: Incorporate fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants to protect brain cells from damage.
Limit processed foods and sugar: Excessive consumption of these can negatively impact brain function.
Social Interaction:
Engaging in meaningful conversations, joining social groups, and spending time with loved ones can stimulate the brain and promote cognitive health.
Novel Experiences:
Travel to new places, try new activities or take different routes to work to challenge your brain with unfamiliar stimuli.
Stress Management:
Chronic stress can hinder neuroplasticity, so practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or yoga.
Empowerment Through Healing
Recognizing and understanding complex PTSD is only the first step in the healing process. By exploring these holistic approaches and addressing the mind-body connection, individuals can reclaim their stories and futures. You are not defined by your past or the trauma; real empowerment comes from processing it, seeking support, and harnessing your brain's incredible capacity for change. Remember, healing is within reach, and you are worthy of a fulfilled life filled with love and understanding. Together, we can navigate the complexities of trauma and cultivate meaningful connections in our lives.
--------
We appreciate your taking the time to read this article on understanding Complex PTSD. Did you find it insightful, helpful, or valuable in some way? Gratuity is appreciated and can be accepted here. Thank you!
Comments