Complex Trauma: More Than a Buzzword

Trauma has become a trending topic — and in many ways, that’s a positive cultural shift. Generally speaking, this is a good thing since trauma survivors deserve to be heard, validated, and have access to treatment. However, there’s much more to this topic than you can learn in a sentimental movie about a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While these stories are valid, they represent only a fraction of what trauma can look like.

There’s another, often overlooked type of trauma that’s common, just as real and far more complicated: complex trauma.

The keyword in that last sentence is complex. When someone undergoes abuse or danger chronically, it’s different than those who experience a single traumatic event. It’s not that one version is harder or worse. But they are undoubtedly different.

What is Complex Trauma and C-PTSD?

Complex trauma refers to prolonged or repeated exposure to traumatic events, often involving interpersonal harm and occurring over months or years.

Repetitive and sustained abuse leads to complex trauma (and sometimes C-PTSD). This is especially true when the traumatic events occur during childhood. These events may include:

• Ongoing physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
• Being trapped in a scenario like war, slavery, or human trafficking
• Imprisonment and/or torture
• Living in a state of chronic emotional or physical neglect
• Abandonment during childhood
• Repeated traumatic events

The result can be Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), a condition related to but distinct from traditional PTSD. While PTSD often stems from a single traumatic event, C-PTSD arises from long-term trauma and carries additional, deeply ingrained symptoms.

Common Signs of Complex Trauma 

Emotional Numbness

Being a survivor of complex trauma can leave a person feeling detached and hopeless. They were trapped in a nightmare that felt like it would never end, quite possibly at the hands of someone they knew. This type of scenario can drain anyone’s self-worth. In addition, you lose trust in others, the world, and even in your faith in previously held beliefs.

“No One Understands Me”

Living through something as heinous as sexual abuse or human trafficking can make it feel impossible to relate to anyone else. You see yourself as different and damaged in unique ways. This is hardly conducive to making and sustaining connections with others. Even a medical professional is viewed with wariness and distrust.

Trauma Bonding and Obsessive Thoughts

When abuse is relentless, it’s common to seek ways to make sense of it. This can lead someone to feel connected to their abuser, making excuses for them and their behavior. Conversely, a complex trauma survivor may turn to being fixated on thoughts of revenge. These coping strategies are protective at first, but can become harmful if left unaddressed. Individuals may also develop a pattern of subconsciously seeking abusive relationships.

Traumatic Stress on Your Brain

Long-term trauma changes brain mechanics, particularly how the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex perform. This dysfunction alters how a person remembers events and responds to stress. The damage can be reversed through treatment, but until then, a survivor may not be able to envision a healthy future (see below).

Difficulty Envisioning the Future

Having a traumatic history can impede one’s ability or willingness to imagine things getting better. Complex trauma can temporarily change one’s perception due to:

• Lack of self-worth
• Deep feelings of guilt and shame
• Past memories being blocked or altered
• Loss of executive functioning skills

It’s not that you don’t want a happy future. Instead, the impact of trauma has caused you to not see how it can happen, or if you feel you deserve to be well. An experienced, trauma-informed therapist can help guide a survivor through this dense maze of factors.

Healing is Possible

Complex trauma isn’t your fault. The shame, guilt, and confusion you may feel are common, but they do not define you. Healing is possible. With the help of a trauma-informed therapist, you can learn to gently unpack what happened, build safety within your body and mind, and move toward a life of stability, connection, and meaning.. Let’s connect and talk soon to get you started on the path toward recovery with trauma therapy.