What is CPTSD
Complex PTSD.
It is indeed more Complex, and a more severe form of PTSD.
Complex PTSD is the heartbreaking aftermath of prolonged, chronic trauma. We are talking about abuse, neglect, and violence.
Unlike a one-time traumatic event (like a car accident or assault), complex trauma occurs repeatedly over time, often inflicted by other human beings.
Although CPTSD can develop in adulthood (from abusive relationships, living in war zones, or trafficking), it is most often associated with childhood trauma, particularly neglect and abuse during formative years.
Effects of childhood trauma
This is where it gets heartbreaking: not only is it devastating to live with CPTSD, but growing up with complex trauma harms healthy development. It impacts our bodies, brains, and sense of self. This toxic stress and lack of getting our needs met during childhood profoundly shapes who we become.
Complex trauma affects how we think, feel, and behave. As adults, unresolved trauma can keep us stuck in the past. This doesn't mean we're always consciously thinking about traumatic memories, but that our bodies and brains are trapped in that past. Strong emotions from past experiences surface through daily triggers.
When our bodies (and nervous systems) are stuck in the traumatic past, normal life becomes incredibly difficult. Survival instincts take over, keeping us in a constant state of hypervigilance, anxiety, depression, and feeling unsafe. This is exhausting and deeply impacts our wellbeing. The extreme nervous system dysregulation survivors face is one of the hardest aspects of living with CPTSD.
The impact on our bodies, brains, and sense of self is immense. It’s only natural that as adults, we present with survival mechanisms and symptoms after deeply traumatic experiences for a young child. Many survivors often receive diagnoses for several issues instead of getting the recognition that their presenting symptoms and behaviours are CPTSD from a traumatising childhood.
What are the Symptoms of CPTSD?
CPTSD exists on a continuum, and symptoms vary among individuals. We are all unique individuals with our own unique histories. These symptoms are all normal human responses to childhood trauma.
Common Symptoms:
Severe anxiety or depression
Emotional flashbacks (old feelings of distress from childhood triggered by current events)
Inner critic
Toxic shame
Social anxiety
Over-sensitivity to stress
Dissociation
Relationship difficulties
Developmental arrests
Physical health issues (IBS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and others.)
Disordered eating
Addictions
The mental health system often labels these symptoms as separate disorders, and sometimes personality disorders, rather than understanding them as a result of complex trauma. Hence many survivors have a full booklet of diagnoses. Some have never received mental health support but might self-diagnose with anxiety, depression and so on, simply not understanding what the heck is going on with them, being stuck in loops of suffering.
The main problem is that mental health systems focus on trying to treat individual symptoms, not the root cause: complex trauma. Whether or not survivors are aware of their CPTSD, the treatments often fail to both address and acknowledge the truth of their suffering. This is a massive problem, as survivors neither get the expertise they need or competent therapeutic support. It does sound bizarre but most therapists have very little training on complex trauma or the right skillset to address it.
Why CPTSD as a diagnosis is one of the most important developments in the History of Mental Health.
We believe the official recognition of CPTSD is one of the most important developments in the history of mental health.
Our Western mental health system has done us all a disservice by pathologizing normal human behaviour and responses. Too many diagnoses fit narrow boxes that serve the psychiatric model and feed the pharmaceutical industry.
However, we must say that CPTSD is indeed very welcomed as a diagnosis as we have for the first time a head on recognition of what is truly going on.
Complex trauma survivors deserve the right education and support to heal. Unfortunately, most of the time, the mental health system fails to provide this. Despite CPTSD being officially recognised since a few years back, there’s still a lack of awareness and insufficient training for mental health professionals. Most don’t understand complex trauma well enough to provide competent care.
This gap is a major issue that needs to be addressed. We believe the current state for complex trauma survivors is unacceptable.
It’s heartbreaking that so many people don’t even know they have CPTSD. Most haven’t received any psychoeducation about it, and many lack a framework to understand how their early childhood trauma shapes their adult lives. Society, and our mental health system, haven’t given us the necessary information about child development, what trauma is and how it impacts us.
We’re not advocating for everyone to be diagnosed, but rather for better education about complex trauma and CPTSD. Understanding what’s happening to you is the first step toward healing. At UMA BOX, we’re working toward a future where psychoeducation and awareness around CPTSD are widespread in society, and where competent care and support is the norm.
We find it unacceptable that the Western mental health system fails so badly when it comes to complex trauma. We will never accept this, and so we’re building the future we want for complex trauma survivors.
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All the Love,
Nic & UMA BOX
