WHAT IS TRAUMA? UNDERSTANDING CPTSD & PTSD
Many of us, myself included in years gone by, have no idea that we have experienced trauma so the suggestion that our addictions or other "issues" stem from trauma seems absurd and unlikely, so I would like to explain in simple terms what trauma actually is.
In simple terms, trauma is old stress and emotional pain stuck in the system. Trauma can be caused by an acutely distressing one time event, or by exposure to various forms of emotional stress over a prolonged period of time. Trauma can be produced through any experience that makes us feel as though our basic safety is under threat.
Type 1 Traumas are single or short term incidences that are acutely stressful or distressing such a robbery, a rape, a mugging, or a combat experience. Type 1 Traumas can produce what we typically know as PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Equally this type of trauma can be rooted in “normal” events such a minor car crash or a routine surgery.
Type 2 Trauma is caused by prolonged exposure to stress. We tend to refer to this as CPTSD – Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This could be though things such as having to live with ill health in yourself or a loved one, chronic work or financial stress, an abusive relationship or ongoing exposure to poverty, systemtic racisim, bigotry or misogyny.
For the vast majority of those of us however most Type 2 Trauma will have originated in childhood – what we call developmental or attachment trauma. Many of us had stressful and emotionally wounding childhoods because we are growing up in a society that is suffering collectively.
It is important to understand that as children we are wholly dependent on our caregivers, for longer than any other mammal. Our survival, our life, depends on their ability to be attuned to our needs and meet them consistently. Any sign that our caregivers may themselves be under threat or stressed causes stress in the infant. Any sense the baby or young child has that the parent is not attuned to them - is otherwise occupied with their own issues and anxieties - triggers a threat response in the child. When we grow up with caregivers who are in any way ´´stressed, depressed or emotionally unavailable´´ in the words of Dr Gabor Mate, our sense of safety is threatened on a very primal level and we grow up in a state of continuous tension and fear - what we call toxic stress . Our nervous system gets locked into that state - the stress becomes encoded and the early programming reigns supreme all the way in to our adult life.
Some of had obviously dysfunctional childhoods where violence was common place or we were sexually abused or clearly neglected. For many of us however the dysfunction was more covert – often invisible to the untrained eye. To understand childhood trauma we need to look through the lens of the child, we need to understand that many things can be stressful or distressing to us when we are young and vulnerable. To illuminate a little, here are a few examples of things that can be traumatising to a child:
. Birth
. Adoption and Fostering
. Being left to cry it out
. Being smacked
. Conflict between parents
. Being frequently shouted out or emotionally rejected (think ´´time outs´´)
. Financial instability in the home
. Parent(s) who were addicted, codependant, eating disordered, insecure, anxious, stressed, depressed, suffering with chronic fatigue, pain, or other illnesses.
. A parent who needed your counsel, friendship or emotional support
. Parents who were unable to meet the emotional needs of the child in healthy ways - accept and honour the whole child.
. Parents who were distracted and not emotionally present
. Parents who were overly strict or authoritarian.
. Parents who were unboundaried and provided no structure.
. Pressure to perform academically
. Bullying
. Being made to feel inadequate by rigid schooling methods and teaching models
. Moving house or being moved around a lot
. Death or sickness of a family member or friend
In some incidences addictions, anxiety, depression and other symptoms may be born from trauma suffered later on in adult life. However, what I have observed is that those who grow up in safe, stable, emotionally healthy homes tend to be more resilient to later life traumas. They may have a terribly distressing experience as a adult but they are more able to process that experience and move forward from it without becoming symptomatic. Because these people are functioning from a brain and body that is already in balance they are more resilient to the challenges of life.
Those of us who grew up in dysfunction and live in an already traumatised state are sadly predisposed to being traumatised over and over again as our systems are already overwhelmed and therefore less resilient. A relationship breakup or a car crash for someone without preexisting CPTSD can be upsetting, but for someone with preexisting CPTSD or post traumatic stress these experiences can be devastating and completely destabilising and may become the tipping point that then provokes the onset of heavier symptoms such as compulsive drinking or eating, depression, panic attacks etc.
Trauma changes the brain and the body. These changes produce the surface level symptoms such anxiety, depression, addictions, codependency, low self esteem, difficulty making decisions, attention deficit, chronic pain including sciatica and migraine, fatigue or health issues such as metabolic disorders, digestive issues, skin irritations or insomnia. For a full list of trauma symptoms please click this here.
In the words of Peter Levine “trauma is a fact of life” and experiences that leave a trauma imprint take many forms. Until we resolve the underlying trauma - what we could also call the ´original wound´ - we will continue to struggle in one way or another.
If you are struggling, there is nothing wrong with you, something happened to you.
In simple terms, trauma is old stress and emotional pain stuck in the system. Trauma can be caused by an acutely distressing one time event, or by exposure to various forms of emotional stress over a prolonged period of time. Trauma can be produced through any experience that makes us feel as though our basic safety is under threat.
Type 1 Traumas are single or short term incidences that are acutely stressful or distressing such a robbery, a rape, a mugging, or a combat experience. Type 1 Traumas can produce what we typically know as PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Equally this type of trauma can be rooted in “normal” events such a minor car crash or a routine surgery.
Type 2 Trauma is caused by prolonged exposure to stress. We tend to refer to this as CPTSD – Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This could be though things such as having to live with ill health in yourself or a loved one, chronic work or financial stress, an abusive relationship or ongoing exposure to poverty, systemtic racisim, bigotry or misogyny.
For the vast majority of those of us however most Type 2 Trauma will have originated in childhood – what we call developmental or attachment trauma. Many of us had stressful and emotionally wounding childhoods because we are growing up in a society that is suffering collectively.
It is important to understand that as children we are wholly dependent on our caregivers, for longer than any other mammal. Our survival, our life, depends on their ability to be attuned to our needs and meet them consistently. Any sign that our caregivers may themselves be under threat or stressed causes stress in the infant. Any sense the baby or young child has that the parent is not attuned to them - is otherwise occupied with their own issues and anxieties - triggers a threat response in the child. When we grow up with caregivers who are in any way ´´stressed, depressed or emotionally unavailable´´ in the words of Dr Gabor Mate, our sense of safety is threatened on a very primal level and we grow up in a state of continuous tension and fear - what we call toxic stress . Our nervous system gets locked into that state - the stress becomes encoded and the early programming reigns supreme all the way in to our adult life.
Some of had obviously dysfunctional childhoods where violence was common place or we were sexually abused or clearly neglected. For many of us however the dysfunction was more covert – often invisible to the untrained eye. To understand childhood trauma we need to look through the lens of the child, we need to understand that many things can be stressful or distressing to us when we are young and vulnerable. To illuminate a little, here are a few examples of things that can be traumatising to a child:
. Birth
. Adoption and Fostering
. Being left to cry it out
. Being smacked
. Conflict between parents
. Being frequently shouted out or emotionally rejected (think ´´time outs´´)
. Financial instability in the home
. Parent(s) who were addicted, codependant, eating disordered, insecure, anxious, stressed, depressed, suffering with chronic fatigue, pain, or other illnesses.
. A parent who needed your counsel, friendship or emotional support
. Parents who were unable to meet the emotional needs of the child in healthy ways - accept and honour the whole child.
. Parents who were distracted and not emotionally present
. Parents who were overly strict or authoritarian.
. Parents who were unboundaried and provided no structure.
. Pressure to perform academically
. Bullying
. Being made to feel inadequate by rigid schooling methods and teaching models
. Moving house or being moved around a lot
. Death or sickness of a family member or friend
In some incidences addictions, anxiety, depression and other symptoms may be born from trauma suffered later on in adult life. However, what I have observed is that those who grow up in safe, stable, emotionally healthy homes tend to be more resilient to later life traumas. They may have a terribly distressing experience as a adult but they are more able to process that experience and move forward from it without becoming symptomatic. Because these people are functioning from a brain and body that is already in balance they are more resilient to the challenges of life.
Those of us who grew up in dysfunction and live in an already traumatised state are sadly predisposed to being traumatised over and over again as our systems are already overwhelmed and therefore less resilient. A relationship breakup or a car crash for someone without preexisting CPTSD can be upsetting, but for someone with preexisting CPTSD or post traumatic stress these experiences can be devastating and completely destabilising and may become the tipping point that then provokes the onset of heavier symptoms such as compulsive drinking or eating, depression, panic attacks etc.
Trauma changes the brain and the body. These changes produce the surface level symptoms such anxiety, depression, addictions, codependency, low self esteem, difficulty making decisions, attention deficit, chronic pain including sciatica and migraine, fatigue or health issues such as metabolic disorders, digestive issues, skin irritations or insomnia. For a full list of trauma symptoms please click this here.
In the words of Peter Levine “trauma is a fact of life” and experiences that leave a trauma imprint take many forms. Until we resolve the underlying trauma - what we could also call the ´original wound´ - we will continue to struggle in one way or another.
If you are struggling, there is nothing wrong with you, something happened to you.