Trauma has become a trendy term, as of late. Generally speaking, this is a good thing since trauma survivors deserve to be heard, validated, and healed. 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). To view the concept of trauma solely as popular manifestations is to downplay situations that are even more complex.

The keyword in that last sentence is complex. You see, 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 certainly different.

Complex Trauma and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

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

• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse that is perpetrated over a long period
• Being trapped in a scenario like war, slavery, trafficking, or being prostituted and feeling there is no way to escape
• Imprisonment and/or torture
• Living in a state of chronic neglect and/or abandonment during childhood

Hence, while the symptoms of PTSD and C-PTSD frequently overlap, there are red flags more specific to complex trauma.

Common Signs of Complex Trauma 

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/Obsession

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. Obviously, until unhealthy coping mechanisms are addressed, it can be daunting to find a way to recover.

Traumatic Stress on Your Brain

Long-term trauma changes one’s brain mechanics. In particular, it shifts how the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex perform. This dysfunction alters how a person remembers events and how they respond to stress. The damage can be reversed via treatment, but until then, a survivor may not be able to envision a healthy future (see below).

Seeing a Distorted 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. Rather, the impact of trauma has caused you to not see how it can happen and/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.

Speaking of Therapy…

You are not to blame for complex trauma or C-PTSD. It was imposed upon you. Know that there are others ready, willing, and able to give you the help you need and deserve. Let’s connect and talk soon to get you started on the path toward recovery with trauma therapy.