Complex Trauma/C-PTSD

What is complex trauma?

While there is no concrete definition, most clinicians agree that complex trauma describes someone having multiple traumatic events in their lifetime, with the first starting out in childhood with either childhood abuse or neglect. Some examples of childhood abuse and neglect are physical abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing other forms of violence in childhood, severe neglect, etc. There is also usually some element of attachment injury or attachment wounding that happens with complex trauma as well.

What are the signs of complex trauma?

In addition to the normal symptoms of PTSD such as flashbacks, hypervigilance, physical reactions to memories, etc. someone with complex trauma may also experience dissociation, mood instability, emotional numbing, and significant reactions to perceived abandonment. It is also possible for someone to have few to no PTSD symptoms at all, especially if there is alot of dissociative amnesia around childhood memories. While most people with complex trauma remember some of the events, it is possible for others to have no recollection at all due to dissociative amnesia.

What are the impacts of complex trauma?

Having complex trauma can have impacts on us, even long after the trauma is over with. This is because part of our brain is conscious and aware that the trauma is over with, but another part of our brain is still stuck in what we clinicians refer to as “trauma time.” These can have effects on our emotional well-being, our functioning with school, work, or daily life activities, as well as our relationships with others. Because part of complex trauma is also having some level of attachment injury or wounding, this can impact our ability to make and keep relationships with others. Complex trauma can also play a part in physiological problems. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study found that there are significant links between complex trauma and our physiological health, even in adulthood.

What are the treatments for complex trauma/CPTSD?

There are alot of great treatments for resolving complex trauma. Things like Eye Movement Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy and Brainspotting can be good for directly resolving the traumatic events. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) can be good for helping with emotion regulation, dealing with problematic behaviors, and increasing stabilization before directly processing the traumatic events. There are other therapies that can be helpful in a variety of ways to resolve the trauma including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), somatic therapy, hypnosis, Internal Family Systems therapy, ego state therapy, and more.

If you are interested in learning more about healing from complex trauma, please reach out to us!