By Cait West & Shari A Smith
A common mental health issue that so many of us who have survived religious trauma and abuse is a condition called Complex Post-Traumatic Disorder (C-PTSD), a similar condition to the more famous PTSD.
For someone who has experienced a singular traumatic incident like surviving a war, an explosion, or experiencing/witnessing a violent situation, they may experience post-traumatic stress disorder.
On the other hand, a person who has survived repeated abuse, particularly from childhood, and has no sense of being able to escape may experience complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
While the symptoms between the two conditions are similar, the difference is that CPTSD is a relational trauma, and deeply impacts a person’s ability to trust others and themselves.
Symptoms include:
- Nightmares
- Intrusive thoughts
- emotional flashbacks
- Avoidance
- Dissociation
- Difficulty maintaining relationships
- Difficulty regulating emotions
If you live with C-PTSD, there is hope. None of us are truly stuck!
A trauma-informed therapist can help you develop a treatment plan to help your body and nervous system develop new skills to regulate in new ways. Mindful self-compassion can help us push back against the cruel inner voice that so many of carry with us. Medication may also be helpful. Check the bottom of the article for some resources that may be helpful for you.
Here are some of Cait’s thoughts on how to approach healing when you live with C-PTSD:
I’m thinking a lot lately about how wellness looks different for everyone. Not everyone’s going to find the same benefits from the same wellness practices. Everyone’s body is different, everyone’s mind and mental condition is different, and that’s okay. And I think it’s hard to recognize that when we’re comparing ourselves to each other online.
For me, living with Complex PTSD can be a minute by minute struggle. Like today, I was dealing with a lot of varying degrees of anxiety and stress from different aspects of my life. I try to take care of myself today by taking a nap in the morning and making myself a vegetable soup for lunch and taking my medication.
I’m trying to take the resilience I learned in surviving abuse and putting it into healing. I didn’t feel great today, but taking the time moment by moment to take care of myself made a difference.
Some Resources For Living with C-PTSD:
Survivors Discuss Podcast 
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