Healing from Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)

What is Complex Trauma or C-PTSD? 

Complex PTSD is a psychological and relational aftermath from unresolved past emotional wounds, especially those experienced in childhood.

It is a group of symptom patterns originating from childhood trauma and attachment injuries. It can also emerge from repeated exposure to adult relational traumas.

Trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté reminds us, “The attempt to escape from pain is what creates more pain.”

What causes Complex PTSD? 

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, complex trauma stems from early-life experiences of abandonment, neglect, emotional abuse, or inconsistent caregiving.

Witnessing parents’ violence, arguments and feeling alone and overwhelmed in all of these creates grounds for developing C-PTSD later in life. 

Kinds of trauma that result in Complex-PTSD

– Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse in childhood
– Emotional detachment, neglect, and isolation
– Attachment injuries resulting from caregivers
– Emotionally unavailable parenting
– Witnessing parental conflicts or domestic violence
– Experiences of abandonment or inconsistent caregiving
– Repeated exposure to fear, shame, or rejection
– Growing up in foster care or institutional systems
– Living in marginalized or systemically oppressed communities

For many, it is helpful to begin with an understanding of their Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Score.

The ACE Score highlights how emotional and physical health symptoms are often linked to unresolved childhood trauma. However, it is not a replacement for a full mental health evaluation and should be interpreted within the broader context of therapy and support. Click here to calculate your ACE score

Learn More About The Adverse Childhood Experiences Score- Click Here

But Complex PTSD is not only from one’s personal trauma

C-PTSD is not always from direct personal experiences; many times, it is beyond this. Complex trauma may also involve intergenerational, cultural, legacy, societal influences.

Learn more from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, which offers extensive research and education on complex trauma in children and adults.

What are the symptoms of complex trauma in adults?

Typical PTSD symptoms involve intrusive memories, flashbacks, avoidance of thinking about the trauma, and nightmares.

However, in those with C-PTSD the impact is on a person’s sense of identity, ability to trust themselves and others, ability to regulate their emotions, and interpersonal relationships.

Dissociation, self-harm, and coping with substances and addictions are also common in those with C-PTSD.

The latest research on complex PTSD also highlights issues such as—

Pleasing, over-apologizing, risk-avoiding, scanning and vigilance for danger and conflict avoidance, perfectionism, over-performing, and deep struggles with emotional intimacy are some of the coping mechanisms from complex trauma.

How is Complex PTSD diagnosed? Assessment and who can diagnose it

The diagnosis of Complex PTSD is typically made by a psychiatrist, or by a psychologist. It is informed by clinical history, relational patterns, and trauma exposure.

Common C-PTSD triggers

When someone lives with Complex PTSD, triggers—both known and unconscious—can provoke intense emotional, psychological, or somatic reactions.

Common triggers in Complex PTSD include:

• • Body language, tone, or expressions perceived as threatening
  • Conflict, confrontation, or criticism
  • Feeling rejected, abandoned, excluded, or let down
  • Relational disappointment or betrayal
  • Physical proximity or emotional intimacy that feels unsafe
  • Being misunderstood or emotionally overlooked

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, understanding and working with personal triggers is a foundational step in healing Complex PTSD.

What are some of the coping patterns in C-PTSD?

Some of these coping behaviors are described as “safety behaviors”—protective in function, but they prolong distress.

• Daydreaming, zoning out, checking out, or switching off
• Using play or imagination in childhood to distract oneself
• Adult forms of distraction (e.g. screen use, work, media)
• Using food, or being preoccupied with weight and appearance
• Using substances, alcohol, spending, or social media
• Workaholism, perfectionism, and overachieving to feel worthy
• Avoiding feelings, triggers, people, or situations
• Pre-emptive planning or rehearsing as a defence
• Anxiously preparing for worst-case scenarios

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4608327/

Evidence-based treatments for C-PTSD: what helps and why

Absolutely! But healing from Complex PTSD is not a one-size-fits-all process. It often requires therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy—approaches that work with the body, nervous system, and the fragmented parts of the self. Below are several evidence-informed methods that support long-term recovery:

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy – Helps individuals work compassionately with inner parts, unburden past trauma, and restore internal harmony. Especially effective for survivors of childhood and relational trauma.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)—Uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories. Backed by decades of research and recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization and APA.

• Somatic Experiencing (SE)—Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE works with the body’s stored trauma responses and supports nervous system regulation.

• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) – A structured approach that helps children, adolescents, and adults process trauma through cognitive restructuring and emotional skill-building.

• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy – Integrates somatic therapy with attachment theory and cognitive approaches to address how trauma lives in the body and interrupts developmental pathways.

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