Complex PTSD and tips for Staying grounded.

❤️❤️ Article to help others, and yourself, understand the inner workings of a mind that is enduring Complex PTSD. It IS highly , highly recommended you get trauma-focused mental health care . This will help to assure the proper steps and the right supportive and compassionate environment. Google the nearest CPTSD therapist in your area if you are having a hard time coping, and the stress of it all is getting to you ❤️❤️

If you’ve been through a highly stressful event, you may develop a trauma disorder. This is a mental health condition characterized by symptoms such as hypervigilance, flashbacks, anxiety, insomnia, and persistent negative thoughts.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is the most common trauma disorder, with approx 8 million adults experiencing PTSD every year.

However, there is a unique form of PTSD known as Complex PTSD that may develop after repeated stressful events.

What Is Complex PTSD?

Complex PTSD occurs when an individual is exposed to repeated or chronic trauma over a long period of time. This may include physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, captivity, or torture. Some potential triggers of complex PTSD include:

• Childhood abuse or neglect

• Domestic violence

• Kidnapping/long-term captivity

• Sex trafficking/slavery

• Imprisonment during war or living in an area impacted by war

Also known CPTSD/C-PTSD, this is a relatively new condition that is not yet included in the DSM-V. As a result, it is usually diagnosed as traditional PTSD. It may also be diagnosed as a disorder of extreme stress not otherwise specified (DESNOS). However, some mental health professionals believe it should be a separate diagnosis. Many people who experience ongoing traumatic events do not quite fit the criteria for PTSD.

C-PTSD can occur in children or adults. Those who are exposed to long-term trauma are, in essence, held physically or emotionally captive to their situation. For children, this can be living in a household where they are subject to sexual, physical or emotional abuse from a parent. Adults who are trapped in a violent domestic abuse relationship may also develop C-PTSD. In either case, the perpetrator of the abuse controls the victim. In some cases, it isn’t necessarily a single abuser controlling the individual. Refugees, war camp prisoners and labor or sex slaves are also held in captive conditions.

If I didn't have faith, I don't know what my world would be like. Thank you Jesus. Whatever it is you believe in, God, the Universe, Our Earth mama.... Anything, just hold on to that during your healing journey. Notice the little things, cherish the actual real life BLESSINGS ❤️

Symptoms of Complex PTSD

Although individuals with C-PTSD may have the symptoms of traditional PTSD, they will typically also experience these other symptoms.

Trouble with Emotional Regulation

People with C-PTSD often struggle to control their emotions. They may experience disproportionate sadness, anger, and fear. This often manifests as suicidal depression, violent rage, and crippling anxiety. 

Difficulty Maintaining Relationships

Because complex PTSD is caused by repeated abuse, it can lead to a significant lack of trust in others. This impairs their ability to form healthy, secure attachments. They may either avoid relationships altogether or enter into toxic friendships and romantic partnerships. It’s also common to have a strong fear of abandonment.

Decreased Self-Esteem

Many people experience shame and guilt as a result of C-PTSD. Victims of abuse often blame themselves or feel somehow responsible for their suffering. They may feel helpless or hopeless, trapped in negative emotions and low self-esteem.

Unrealistic View of the Abuser

Individuals with C-PTSD often have a distorted view of their abuser. Some victims still desire to gain the abuser’s approval. Others feel intense hatred and anger and think about getting revenge. Many victims feel like the abuser still controls their life, even after they’ve removed themselves from the situation.

Loss of a Sense of Meaning

Complex PTSD can leave individuals feeling as if they’ve lost their beliefs and values. They may feel as though life has no meaning. Many struggle to find a sense of purpose in a world that seems chaotic and unjust. This is understandable since people with C-PTSD were often abused by their parents, primary caregivers, or a romantic partner. Such a deep betrayal of trust can shake core beliefs about the world.

Detachment and Dissociation

Some people completely detach from the trauma, repressing memories. It’s common for victims of childhood abuse to have very few memories of their past. Another coping mechanism may be dissociation from oneself or one’s surroundings.

Physical and Behavioral Issues

C-PTSD may also lead to various physical ailments like cardiovascular issues, migraines, chronic pain, and gastrointestinal issues. Additionally, people with complex PTSD sometimes cope through unhealthy behaviors like substance abuse, disordered eating, and sexual promiscuity. 

If you or someone you love has undergone prolonged exposure to trauma or extreme stress and is experiencing any of the above symptoms, know that there is hope for healing. Under the guidance of a mental health professional, you can improve your condition and live a healthy life.

How Is Complex PTSD Diagnosed?

Only a clinically trained mental health professional can give a formal diagnosis. You may be diagnosed with traditional PTSD since the DSM-V currently does not recognize C-PTSD as a separate condition. However, your therapist should recognize the unique nature of your symptoms and develop a custom treatment plan to address them.

Your mental health care provider will use various methods to diagnose your condition. They may ask you to fill out questionnaires rating your symptoms and have an in-depth conversation about your childhood and past. It’s important to tell your therapist about your abuse experiences so they can formulate the best treatment plan for you.

Complex PTSD vs. PTSD

Controversy exists over whether or not there is enough evidence to support a separate diagnosis for C-PTSD, as there are many symptoms that overlap with PTSD. There is, however, some research that supports a separate classification.

Despite the confusion surrounding whether C-PTSD is a separate mental health condition from PTSD, many practitioners recognize that there are differences in both the triggers and the symptoms. People who live through a single traumatic event are more likely to develop symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, while those who are subjected to repeated trauma are at risk of developing the more severe symptoms linked to complex PTSD.

Treatment for C-PTSD should be tailored to the nature of repeated abuse experiences, while traditional PTSD treatment will focus on the single event that triggered the symptoms.

How Is Complex PTSD Treated?

Complex PTSD treatment can include both medication and psychotherapy. Your practitioner may prescribe drugs to treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, and/or sleep disorders. However, medication alone will not get to the root of the condition. Therapy is critical for processing your past trauma and learning safety in your body .

Exposure therapy is sometimes used to treat PTSD and may also be used to treat C-PTSD. With exposure therapy, a trained clinician assists patients in safely confronting their fears. Research indicates this treatment approach may benefit those who have complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

Other studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are also very effective in treating the more serious symptoms associated with C-PTSD. Cognitive behavioral therapy provides a way to retrain thoughts and behaviors. People who undergo eye movement desensitization and reprocessing find that it reduces the strong emotional responses associated with the traumatic event. 

Where Can You Get Help for Complex PTSD?

If you’re seeking treatment for C-PTSD, look for a qualified mental health practitioner with experience in trauma.

Google is a great tool for this, and finding the nearest location.

Due to the complicated nature of this condition, a higher level of care may be necessary. This could include a structured all-day treatment program (partial hospitalization) or half-day treatment (intensive outpatient). Don't get to worried though , this is only for extremes.

Tips for "learning to be safe in your body" -------------

Taking care of your body is critically important when trying to manage strong emotions. If you are tired, hungry, or in pain, it becomes much harder for the thinking part of your brain to accurately assess threats. This in turn leaves you more vulnerable to strong emotional reactions.

It is common after experiencing trauma to develop behaviors to try and cope that can have negative impacts on long term wellness, like disordered eating, substance use, or engaging in other high-risk behaviors.

Increasing physical wellness through addressing these concerns is a foundational piece of recovery. Yoga, dance, and excersize have been found to help not only with mood and overall health but can also be especially helpful in trauma recovery because they increase your ability to move in and out of states of stimulation and relaxation.

NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT --

Understand Your Body’s Response to Traumatic Experiences

The more you know about why your body and brain respond the way they do to traumatic experiences and reminders, the better your ability to navigate them. It is important for you and your supporters to recognize that your fear response is no more of a conscious choice than it is to jump when startled

As humans, our brains are composed of different parts that serve different functions. When our brain identifies a threat, such as a reminder of past trauma, the older, more primitive part of our brain that acts like an alarm system initiates the fear response of fight, flight or freeze. When we are experiencing that fear response, the thinking part of our brain is no longer able to function the way it does when we are calm. That’s why our thoughts may get scattered or our minds may go blank, it may be more difficult to find the words to talk and feel almost impossible to think logically about what we should do.

Depending on our type of fear response, we may end up lashing out at others, avoiding, or shutting down. While these responses can be incredibly painful, it doesn’t mean that you are “broken” or “bad”- it is actually the brain doing exactly what it has evolved to do over thousands of years to keep us safe in what it perceives as life-threatening situations.

When a person has experienced trauma, the alarm system in the brain can become hypersensitive to perceived threats, and lead to these responses happening much more frequently even when there is no inherent danger anymore. When we can recognize this response is happening, we can more effectively manage our resulting thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Create Body Awareness

Getting in touch with your body sensations can help you gain a better understanding of your triggers, catch your responses sooner so you can use calming techniques, and give you a better sense of what tools will be most effective.

Take a minute to scan your body. Take an inventory of any particular sensations that you’re feeling:

• Are you holding any tension in your jaw, shoulders, or stomach?

• Does this tension grow when you are in stressful situations?

• Do you experience frequent stomach problems or migraines?

These can all be important messages your body is communicating about how you are responding to your environment. These sensations can be really uncomfortable and even debilitating at times, but when you can learn to listen to rather than judge these responses, you’ll be in a much better position to soothe your body and your mind.

Ground Yourself with Your 5 Senses

Traumatic memories can pull you into the past, while anxiety and hypervigilance project fear into the future. If you connect with your body in the present moment, you can get some distance from the thoughts that do not serve you. After all, the present is the only place where any of us can create change.

You can ground yourself by looking around your surroundings for objects tied to your five senses. Try to find:

• 5 different things you can see in the room

• 4 things you can physically touch

• 3 things you can hear

• 2 things you can smell,

• 1 thing you can taste.

Did you notice anything you didn’t before? If you are going to a stressful event or talking about your trauma, try holding a grounding object (a worry stone, beaded bracelet, or fidget toy) or use a strong, pleasing scent such as a diffuser or essential oils. Focusing on the physical sensations while you talk can help you stay clear and grounded.

Unfreeze When Experiencing Flashbacks or Dissociation (this. Is. A. Hard. One . But. We. Can. Do. It. )

The thinking part of the brain gets overrun in moments of extreme distress, so it isn’t something you can think your way out of. Because of that, it is much more effective to use techniques that involve your body rather than your mind to help regain control when triggered.

Focusing on intense sensations (like holding an ice cube) can help when you are frozen, overwhelmed, or disconnected. You can also try stomping or clapping and focusing on the sensation in your hands and feet. After you stop clapping or stomping, continue to focus on just the physical feeling for as long as the tingling sensation continues.

Connect with a Safe Person or Pet (who doesn't love cuddles!)

While this may not be an option for everyone, safe physical contact like hugging or holding hands with a person you trust can be a very effective way to regulate emotions. If it feels safe to do so, looking at the face of a beloved person or pet can also help your body calm and soothe at a deeper level than words alone would.

If you are not sure where to start, that’s okay! Start slow and remember that safety always comes first. Any healthy shift you make is a step toward healing. That may mean just taking the time to learn a little bit more about the biological impact of trauma, or maybe it’s getting sober, addressing some physical health concerns, or trying a new grounding skill.

Whatever you do, please remember that you do not need to go through this process alone, it’s not your fault, and you are not broken. You did not choose what happened to you or the way your body responds to traumatic experiences. You can choose to get help and it is here when you’re ready.

I hope this article has helped in some way on your path to understanding CPTSD.

the blog has many articles and resources, check back daily for more .

Xoxo aloha from Hawaii

Jazzy