What is Complex Trauma?
Published on July 15, 2024
Conversations about trauma were once quite rare. Over time, with the initial focus on returning soldiers, this topic has gained greater awareness. This makes sense since as many as 7 out of every 10 U.S. adults have endured at least one traumatic event. Five percent — at the bare minimum — of them have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
However, trauma is a complex topic. In fact, complex trauma is a topic in and of itself. While PTSD can arise from a single event, complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) can result from repetitive, ongoing experiences. We must also shine a light on this particular issue.
What Might Be the “Repetitive, Ongoing Experiences” Behind Complex Trauma?
The potential causes are varied, but all share similarities. For example, they are chronic and present the reality or perception that no escape is possible. For example:
Realities at home like incest, abuse of any kind, domestic violence, neglect or abandonment, substance abuse, illness, disability, or a child being forced to take on the role of an adult
External trauma in the form of war, crime, torture, or terrorism
Being held against your will, e.g., trafficking, kidnapping, slavery, and prostitution
Keep in mind that trauma does not follow strict rules or categories. Depending on the circumstances, complex trauma is very much in the eye of the beholder. It’s not an outsider’s place to judge what can or cannot cause C-PTSD.
Signs and Symptoms of Complex Trauma
People with C-PTSD will display many of the more common PTSD symptoms. These may include intrusive thoughts, social withdrawal, and hyper-vigilance. Other signs of complex trauma are:
Poor Emotional Regulation
The relentless nature and threat of complex trauma can provoke a wide range of emotions. This reality can be overwhelming and result in sudden, uncontrollable outbursts in any direction — rage, despair, and more.
Dissociation
Feeling like you can’t escape the pain and no one is coming to save you can cause you to suppress your emotions to the point of numbness. Such dissociation can leave you unable to remember the traumatic details while losing a sense of connection to your own body and mind.
Trauma-Related Bonding or Rage
Since you may have had to appease an abuser to feel safe, you can wind up with a skewed perception of the perpetrators. This can range from trying to explain their actions to becoming obsessed with seeking revenge. In some cases, complex trauma survivors seem to seek out potential partners who remind them of their abusers.
Difficult with Social Interactions
Complex trauma can make it feel impossible to trust anyone — including yourself. You feel alone and misunderstood. Such a combination of perspectives may lead to guilt, shame, and detachment.
Existential Loss
The scope and depth of your suffering make it tricky to have faith in anything, e.g., religion or humanity itself. Life without meaning can make it easy to slide into chronic despair.
Can Complex Trauma Be Treated?
The short positive answer is yes! Connecting with an experienced, trauma-informed therapist is a proven path toward resolution and healing. Quite often, the approach taken will be one of or a combination of the following options:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Somatic therapies
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
In addition, you’ll learn valuable self-care skills to create carryover from session to session. You may find yourself regularly engaging in:
Journaling
Meditative movement
Breathing exercises
Daily exercise
A regular sleep routine
Being outside in the sun/in nature
Healthy eating choices
Time spent with trusted friends and family members
Every complex trauma experience is unique, and thus, so are the treatment plans. To learn more about trauma therapy, I invite you to reach out and connect.