What is Complex PTSD?



I wanted to follow up on my last post with some helpful tools for dealing with emotional flashbacks. If you have left a high-control religion, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, there’s a very good chance you will experience some of the symptoms of Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). This is different than PTSD and is more emotional in nature.

When we hear about PTSD or flashbacks we typically think of the movie or television portrayal of vivid images engulfing someone. In those scenes it shows the sufferer experiencing a traumatic event all over again, complete with pictures, sounds, smells, and whatever else accompanied the initial event.

Individuals who suffer from C-PTSD have emotional flashbacks. Instead of experiencing sensory reminders of an event, they feel all of the emotions associated with the initial trauma. So if you were abused verbally as a child, hearing harsh criticism can bring on all of the feelings of being a small, defenseless person seeking safety and receiving none. There is a wide spectrum of emotions that can be replayed when an event triggers these episodes. 

One of the best sources I've found for information about C-PTSD is the book Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker. There’s a very good excerpt from the book at this link: https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/complex-ptsd. 

I started rereading this book after my recent experience with an emotional flashback. The tools and exercises, as well as the way he explains the effects of trauma, are very clear. Even if someone doesn’t have C-PTSD, it is a very insightful discussion of the problem and what can be done to help someone in need.

Here are some of the symptoms of C-PTSD:

Emotional Flashbacks 
Tyrannical Inner &/or Outer Critic 
Toxic Shame 
Self-Abandonment 
Social anxiety 
Abject feelings of loneliness and abandonment 
Fragile Self-esteem 
Attachment disorder 
Developmental Arrests 
Relationship difficulties 
Radical mood vacillations 
Dissociation via distracting activities or mental processes 
Hair-triggered fight/flight response 
Oversensitivity to stressful situations 
Suicidal Ideation

If you are experiencing these symptoms or know someone who is currently going through this, I would recommend checking this book out. We may not want to admit that we were hurt as children, especially by those we love and trust but, that doesn’t help us heal.

Information and understanding of C-PTSD are growing. Using valid sources of education regarding this issue and its treatment can really help in recovering from the emotional after-effects of leaving a high-control religion. 

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