Complex Truma or Complex PTSD
WOUNDEDBOYSHEROICMEN·WEDNESDAY, 13 MAY 2020
Hi everyone,
I took small break from posting as it hasn’t been the greatest of weeks mental health wise.
I thought that I might touch a little bit on complex trauma or complex PTSD today, as it’s something that I suffer from and seems that there is a little confusion about what it is and how it affects male survivors of sexual abuse.
So what is it? Most people with trauma-related problems have experienced multiple traumas like myself . The term, complex trauma describes exposure to multiple traumas. It also refers to the impacts of that exposure.
Complex trauma:
· is usually interpersonal i.e. occurs between people
· involves ‘being or feeling’ trapped
· is often planned, extreme, ongoing and/or repeated
· often has more severe, persistent and cumulative impacts
· involves challenges with shame, trust, self-esteem, identity and regulating emotions.
· has different coping strategies. These include alcohol and drug use, self-harm, over- or under-eating, over-work etc.
· affects emotional and physical health, wellbeing, relationships and daily functioning
In what situations does complex trauma occur?
Complex trauma commonly occurs with repeated trauma against a child. Sometimes a parent or caregiver has experienced their own trauma, which is still affecting them e.g. from mental illness, drugs and alcohol misuse, or being physically or emotionally unavailable. Many situations can cause complex trauma in childhood.
Complex childhood trauma can be especially damaging. This is not always the case. This includes all forms of child abuse, neglect, adverse childhood experiences, community violence – domestic and family violence, civil unrest, war trauma or genocide, cultural dislocation, sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Complex trauma is not always the result of childhood trauma. It can also occur as a result of adults’ experience of violence in the community e.g. domestic and family violence, civil unrest, war trauma or genocide, refugee and asylum seeker trauma, sexual exploitation and trafficking, extreme medical trauma and/or re-traumatisation.