At Renovarte Counseling we specialize in bringing healing to those seeking relief from current and past traumatic experiences
What is Complex Trauma and how do you know if you are experiencing it?
Complex trauma refers to prolonged, repetitive, or pervasive traumatic experiences, often interpersonal in nature, that can have profound and enduring effects on an individual’s mental and emotional well-being. This means, they are traumatic experiences, often caused by others, that you are consistently and continuously exposed to. Examples of Complex Trauma may include:
- Bullying
- Racism, Discrimination, and Identity-Based Violence
- Chronic Illness
- Kidnapping or Imprisonment
- Sexual Abuse and Sex Trafficking
- Domestic Violence
- Physical Abuse
- Verbal (Emotional/Psychological) Abuse
- Financial Abuse
- Natural Disasters
- Homelessness
The repeated exposure to distressing events over an extended period may lead to a cumulative effect on an individual’s psyche including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
How Do I Escape Complex Trauma?
Complex trauma is very difficult to escape because it is often interpersonal in nature and brought on by those in your closest circles. Complex trauma often occurs within relationships where trust and safety should exist. Examples include childhood abuse, domestic violence, or prolonged exposure to dysfunctional family dynamics. These are not the only causes, but are frequent and widespread causes for this type of trauma.
Have you Developed Survival Strategies to Cope With Your Circumstances?
Individuals experiencing complex trauma often develop adaptive survival strategies such as dissociation, hypervigilance, or avoidance, to cope with overwhelming emotions and threats. These strategies may persist into adulthood and impact daily functioning.
Do you find it difficult to Form and Maintain Relationships?
Due to trust issues and challenges with emotional intimacy, individuals with complex trauma may find it difficult to form and maintain healthy relationships. Surviving complex trauma can shape one’s core beliefs and attitudes about themselves, others, and the world. Negative beliefs, such as feeling unworthy or mistrusting others, may become ingrained. While we can’t change your physical circumstances, here at Renovarte Counseling we can give options to help you convert negative beliefs into more wholesome thought patterns that will better help you understand your true value, allowing you freedom to trust others and build healthy relationships.
What types of Therapy can help me if I have experienced Complex Trauma?
At Renovarte Counseling we have found the following therapy types to be helpful in the treatment of Complex Traumas and PTSD. The recommended method or therapy will depend on the severity of your symptoms and your own level of comfort confronting them.
EMDR:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) offers a unique and innovative method for processing and resolving traumatic experiences. It has gained recognition for its effectiveness in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a spectrum of psychological issues including anxiety, depression, and other trauma-related disorders. At the core of EMDR is a distinctive technique involving alternating sweeping movements, each lasting no more than a minute. The process initiates a cascade of internal cognitive and emotional responses. EMDR activates both hemispheres of the brain, facilitating the reprocessing of distressing memories and enabling the brain to integrate them more adaptively.
IBT:
Integral Breath Therapy (IBT) employs breathing techniques in clearing physical, mental and emotional stress. Through childhood we learn to suppress our emotions by holding tension and restricting breath. As time passes this becomes automatic and chronic, restricting our range of expression. We even lose the ability to experience positive feelings and positive emotions such as joy and pleasure. The point of IBT is to trigger natural means of purifying of the body and mind, allowing for more deep relaxation and feelings of safety that are better for processing emotions.
KAP:
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs as well as sustained improvement in symptoms. Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects which act to boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood.
Childhood Trauma has a seemingly indelible impact on the Brain and Body
Identifying the precise reasons why some individuals develop C-PTSD while others do not can be challenging. Nevertheless, it appears evident that enduring traumatic experiences, such as abuse or neglect, can have enduring repercussions.
During childhood, when the brain and body are still undergoing development, stressors like neglect or abuse exert a profound influence. C-PTSD often manifests before a child’s cognitive capacities and sense of self reach full maturation, shaping the eventual development of the brain and communication systems. In cases of C-PTSD in children, the brain adapts to consistently anticipate and respond to subtle indications of potential threats, leading to a continuous influx of adrenaline and cortisol throughout the body.
Given the limited options for fighting back or fleeing, the child typically resorts to shutting down, dissociating, and freezing. Despite this response, the persistent presence of adrenaline and cortisol continues to impact the immune and digestive systems, potentially resulting in psychosomatic symptoms.
- Art Intervention Therapy is offered for cases of C-PTSD in children.
How C-PTSD Affects Adulthood
Because children often lack an understanding that their body’s reactions stem from chronic trauma, the behavior patterns they develop persist into adulthood, even in ostensibly secure environments. Their stress response becomes hyperactive, triggering heightened levels of adrenaline and cortisol at the slightest perceived threat, a consequence of navigating continuous trauma.
Survivors may undergo shifts in consciousness, alter their personal relationships, and reshape their perceptions of self, the perpetrator, and the world due to C-PTSD. Additionally, many individuals may encounter dissociation, memory repression, or flashbacks, reliving the traumatic events.
C-PTSD can introduce various challenges in relationships and professional settings. Those with C-PTSD tendencies often withdraw from others and struggle with trust issues.
In some cases, individuals attempt to override the stress response by engaging in excessive drug or alcohol use, compulsive spending, promiscuous behavior, or workaholism. Others may unconsciously replicate traumatic childhood events through their behaviors or relationships, either because of familiarity or an attempt to rectify the past.