11/06/2025
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is caused by prolonged or repeated exposure to extremely threatening events. These events can include:
🩵 Childhood Abuse
🩵 Dometic Violence
🩵 Intimate Parter Violence
🩵 War
🩵 Torture
🩵 S*x Trafficking
🩵 Slavery
🩵 Genocide
🩵 Kidnapping
🩵 Imprisonment
🩵 Medical Abuse
Traumatic stress can change your brain's chemistry and structure. Studies suggest that trauma is associated with permanent changes in key areas of your brain, including your:
🧠 Amygdala: the part of your brain that processes fear and other emotions.
🧠 Hippocampus: the part of your brain that's largely responsible for learning and memory.
🧠 Prefrontal cortex: The part of your brain that's involved in executive functions, such as planning, decision-making, personality expression, and controlling social behavior.
If you have experienced any of these events and are experiencing any of the listed symptoms, you may have CPTSD. A trauma-informed therapist can help you process what you've been through and teach you tools to manage these symptoms.
Healing is possible and you are not alone. 🫶🏻
