Understanding CPTSD: What It Is, What Causes It, and How to Heal
If you’ve been searching for information about complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), you may already know it’s a term that resonates deeply with people who’ve experienced long-term or repeated trauma. As a CPTSD therapist, I often see how this condition impacts multiple parts of a person’s life—emotional, relational, and even physical. Let’s dive into what CPTSD is, how it differs from PTSD, and how we can work together to help you heal.
What Is CPTSD?
CPTSD stands for complex post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition that arises from prolonged or repeated exposure to trauma, especially during critical developmental years. Unlike PTSD, which typically develops after a single traumatic event, CPTSD results from chronic trauma, often involving a caregiver or someone close to you.
This form of trauma often occurs in environments where escape or safety was impossible—such as childhood abuse or neglect, high-conflict households, domestic violence, or prolonged bullying. As a result, it profoundly impacts emotional regulation, self-identity, and relationships, making it feel like trauma has woven itself into the fabric of your life.
As a CPTSD therapist, I often see how this condition impacts multiple parts of a person’s life—emotional, relational, and even physical.
What Creates CPTSD?
CPTSD is typically caused by:
• Prolonged exposure to trauma: Emotional, physical, sexual, or psychological abuse that lasts for years.
• Attachment wounds: Trauma often involves people who were supposed to provide safety, like caregivers or partners. When these relationships are sources of harm, they create attachment wounds that impact how you trust and connect with others.
• Unsafe environments: Chronic neglect or instability, where basic needs like food, shelter, and emotional care were unmet.
CPTSD Responses and Patterns
When we talk about trauma, we often think of the classic "fight or flight" response—the body’s way of preparing to confront or escape danger. But when it comes to complex trauma, which often involves prolonged exposure to abuse, neglect, or other overwhelming experiences, the body and mind can react in other significant ways. These reactions include "freeze," "fawn," and "faint," alongside the more commonly known "fight or flight."
Fight: The fight response is characterized by aggression or confrontation in the face of perceived danger. This can look like becoming defensive, angry, or argumentative. It’s the body’s attempt to regain control by confronting the source of harm.
Flight: The flight response involves an intense urge to escape or avoid the situation causing distress. This might show up as restlessness, hypervigilance, or even physically leaving environments where danger is perceived.
Freeze: The freeze response occurs when neither fight nor flight feels possible. It’s a state of immobilization or shutting down, often described as feeling "stuck." People might dissociate, become numb, or feel unable to act or respond.
Fawn: Fawning is a lesser-known trauma response where an individual attempts to appease or please others to avoid conflict or harm. It often develops in environments where asserting one’s needs felt unsafe. Signs of fawning include people-pleasing behaviors, difficulty saying no, and prioritizing others’ needs over one’s own.
Faint: The faint response involves complete submission or collapse in the face of overwhelming fear or threat. It can manifest as a physical fainting spell, extreme fatigue, or a feeling of "giving up." This response is the body’s way of conserving energy and disconnecting from the threat when other responses feel futile.
Why These Reactions Matter
Understanding these five trauma responses is crucial for recognizing how complex trauma affects the body and mind. These reactions are not conscious choices but automatic survival mechanisms. They help explain why individuals with complex trauma might struggle with anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, or dissociation.
How CPTSD Can Be Treated
Healing CPTSD involves re-establishing safety—both within your body and in relationships. Therapy is a cornerstone of treatment, offering tools to regulate your nervous system and rebuild trust in others. Here’s how treatment can help:
1. Understanding your trauma: Naming and understanding your experiences can reduce shame and help you reclaim your story.
2. Nervous system regulation: Practices rooted in polyvagal theory and other modalities that promote grounding, mindfulness, and somatic (body-based) techniques.
3. Strengthening relationships: Therapy helps address attachment wounds so you can build secure, healthy connections.
4. Processing trauma safely: Modalities like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Â and Internal Family Systems (IFS)Â allow you to process trauma without being re-traumatized.
5. Learning skills: Approaches like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provide tools for managing overwhelming emotions and building resilience.
The Importance of the Therapeutic Relationship
CPTSD often stems from relationships where safety was absent, making the therapeutic relationship especially important. As a CPTSD therapist, I believe healing happens in the context of a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental relationship. Together, we can create a space where you feel seen, validated, and empowered to heal at your own pace.
Healing CPTSD involves re-establishing safety—both within your body and in relationships.
Ready to Begin Your Healing Journey?
If you’re living with CPTSD and located in Montana, Nevada, or Colorado, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. With the right support and tools, healing is possible. If you're ready to take the next step, feel free to set up a free phone consultation with me to ask any questions and see if I may be a good fit.
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