What is Complex Trauma?

Trauma can be quite complicated on its own. For instance, it changes the way your brain works, how you engage with your environment, and how you operate in your day to day life. Traumas are common, affecting seven in 10 American adults, making symptoms and management important. With that said, roughly five percent of those people have received diagnoses of PTSD.

Taking that up a notch, complex trauma can create an extra layer of symptoms. At any rate, complex trauma can actually be considered its own separate topic. Where trauma is linked to a singular event, complex trauma stems from an ongoing or repetitive situation. 

Possible Causes of Complex Trauma

Any traumatic event that is chronic can result in complex trauma. If you feel there is no escape from this situation or way to prevent it from recurring, it could a likely root cause. This can occur in a few different ways. 

For starters, your home environment can be a source of trauma. Circumstances of domestic violence, neglect, abandonment, abuse, and incest can all be recurring negative traumatic events. On another hand, disability and illness can also contribute. Any situation where the child is forced to take on roles beyond their norm can be harmful.

In severe instances, situations where you are held against your will can alter your brain functioning. This can include kidnapping, trafficking, prostitution, or slavery. While less likely than household traumas, they are still events occurring today. 

In the larger scale, external trauma can be considered complex. Racial injustices, crime, terrorist acts, and war can all fall into this category. 

Symptoms of Complex Trauma

Common signs of trauma and PTSD are still applicable to complex trauma. This may include hyper-vigilance, social isolation, fear, and intrusive thoughts. Beyond those, someone with complex trauma may experience some of the following:

Dissociation

Going through a continuous trauma can test your will and try your emotions. After a while, you may find yourself feeling numb or suppressing your emotions as a survival tactic. Once you reach the point of dissociation, it can have an impact on your ability to remember certain pieces of the trauma and your experience. Your mind disconnects from what your body is going through. 

Poor Emotional Regulation

As with any trauma, there are many emotions that may result over the course of your experience. These emotions could be very overwhelming and difficult to manage. 

You may feel a deep sadness, anger, and despair. As your emotions become more intense, you may have sudden outbursts or swings from one end of the spectrum to the other. Due to the nature of their onset, it can be hard to regulate them as you would under normal circumstances. 

Trauma Bonding

With repetitive negative experiences, your mind makes every attempt to protect you from harm. Sometimes, this can alter your perception of reality. 

If you’ve been the victim of abuse, you may have had to appease this person to protect yourself in the moments. This can lead to justifying their actions or making excuses for them. In some instances, this type of environment starts to feel normal and survivors develop tendencies to seek out partners who share similar qualities. 

Interpersonal Relationship Effects

Complex trauma scenarios can make trusting others feel near impossible. It’s hard when others around aren’t going through the same thing you are. You may feel like they won’t understand or you’ll be judged for sharing the details. You may feel guilt or shame, causing you to distance yourself from others, including your support system.

Depending on your circumstances, you may fear getting too close to others to prevent feeling vulnerable, exposed, or putting yourself in a similar situation. 

Each complex trauma situation is a unique experience. The details around it and the symptoms that manifest are extremely personal. On the positive side, this is something that can be treated with trauma therapy. Regardless of your situation, working with a mental health professional can get you started on the right track. If you’d like to learn more, contact us for information.