06/11/2025
What Is Complex trauma?
Complex trauma, or CPTSD, develops after repeated exposure to emotionally overwhelming or unsafe experiences—especially those that occur in close relationships or during childhood.
Unlike a single traumatic event, complex trauma often results from situations that feel ongoing and inescapable, such as chronic neglect, emotional abuse, or family conflict.
Complex trauma can stem from two main sources:
Attachment injuries – when caregivers are emotionally unavailable, inconsistent, or dismissive, even without obvious abuse.
Chronic relational trauma – such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, or repeated exposure to violence.
Adults may also develop CPTSD after long-term abuse, captivity, trafficking, or exposure to conflict and oppression.
When a child relies on caregivers who are also the source of distress, the nervous system adapts for survival. These early coping strategies—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—can later appear as anxiety, self-blame, people-pleasing, or emotional disconnection.
Common Symptoms of CPTSD
Complex trauma affects how people think, feel, and connect with themselves and others.
Common symptoms include:
Trouble trusting or maintaining relationships
Anxiety, depression, or emotional ups and downs
Chronic shame, guilt, or self-criticism
Dissociation or feeling disconnected from emotions
Fatigue, poor sleep, or unexplained pain
Using food, substances, or overworking to cope
These reactions are not weaknesses—they’re protective responses to long-term stress.
Dissociation and Emotional Neglect
Dissociation is a way the brain protects itself from unbearable emotions. It can make you feel disconnected from your thoughts, body, or reality. While helpful at first, it can become a barrier to healing over time.
Emotional neglect—when caregivers fail to provide validation or empathy—can also lead to complex trauma. Children in these environments often grow up believing their feelings don’t matter. Healing begins by learning to recognize your emotions safely and rebuild trust in your inner world.
The Link Between Complex Trauma and Eating Disorders
Many people with complex trauma also develop disordered eating patterns.
When life or emotions feel out of control, food can become a way to cope, numb pain, or regain a sense of control over the body.
Research shows that a large proportion of individuals in eating disorder treatment have experienced trauma, and many meet criteria for PTSD.
Healing requires addressing both the trauma and the coping behaviors together.
Recovery from complex trauma is possible.
Therapy can help you understand your symptoms, reconnect with your body, and build healthier relationships with yourself and others.
Approaches that can support healing include:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Somatic and mindfulness-based therapy
Attachment-focused and ego-state work
With time and the right support, it’s possible to move from survival to genuine safety—learning to live with greater peace, self-compassion, and connection.
Complex trauma can deeply shape your thoughts, emotions, and relationships—but healing is absolutely possible.
You deserve to feel safe, grounded, and free to live fully. Reaching out for trauma-informed support is a brave first step toward lasting recovery and self-connection.
