27/09/2021
I’ve been reflecting on Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), especially the most prevalent kind, the kind that comes from growing up in a severely abusive and/or neglectful family. When the abuse or neglect is severe enough it can cause a child to develop CPTSD, this is also true in the case of emotional neglect. It seemed apt that the attached statement should appear on f/b at the same time.
For me as a person, and as a therapist, I have always been curious about the various coping methods people use. In my experience, it is usually just that, a coping mechanism and a symptom, or if you prefer, a clue to inner hurts, past traumas or unresolved and unspoken about abuse. CPTSD is defined as a more severe form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Five of its most common and troublesome features are; emotional flashbacks, toxic shame, self-abandonment, a vicious inner critic and social anxiety.
They say taking the first step is like you are on the way to completing a marathon. In the same vein taking that first step to recovering from CPTSD is talking in confidence to a trained therapist who is not going to judge or criticise you and will above all else provide that safe confidential space you need to begin your journey of healing from your past.
