Understanding Complex PTSD (Part 1)
I often meet clients who feel overwhelmed, misunderstood, and exhausted by their symptoms. C-PTSD is not just a clinical label—it’s a lived experience that impacts every area of life, from relationships and work to one’s inner world. If you’ve ever asked yourself, "Why can’t I just move on?" or "Why do I feel so stuck when nothing even happened recently?" you are not alone.
Let’s talk about what complex PTSD really is, how it shows up in everyday life, and what you can do to start feeling better—often faster than you might think.
What is Complex PTSD?
Complex PTSD is the result of prolonged, repeated trauma over time, often in relationships where one felt powerless, trapped, or betrayed. Unlike traditional PTSD, which might result from a single traumatic event like a car accident or natural disaster, C-PTSD typically stems from chronic trauma. This might include childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, captivity, toxic work or school environments or systemic oppression.
The key difference is duration and repetition. With complex trauma, the nervous system doesn’t get a break or a chance to reset. Over time, these experiences become embedded in the body and brain, affecting how we see ourselves, others, and the world.
How Does C-PTSD Present?
C-PTSD can be sneaky. It doesn't always look like the flashbacks and nightmares we commonly associate with PTSD. Instead, it often shows up as:
Emotional dysregulation: Feeling emotions too intensely or not at all
Chronic shame or guilt: A deep sense of unworthiness or "badness"
Relational difficulties: Trouble trusting others, fearing abandonment, or swinging between extremes of closeness and distance
Negative self-perception: Believing you're broken, defective, or unlovable
Hypervigilance or dissociation: Always being "on guard" or feeling numb and disconnected
Somatic symptoms: Chronic pain, fatigue, headaches, or stomach issues with no clear medical cause
Many people with C-PTSD are high-functioning on the outside—holding down jobs, caring for families, and showing up for others. But inside, they’re often fighting a silent, exhausting battle.
How to Get Help
If this sounds familiar, know that healing is possible. The first step is often education and validation: understanding that what you're feeling makes sense in the context of what you've lived through.
Finding a therapist who understands complex trauma is crucial. Not all therapy is created equal, and C-PTSD requires a nuanced, compassionate approach. Look for professionals who specialize in trauma-informed care, attachment-based therapy, or modalities like EMDR, somatic experiencing, or internal family systems (IFS).
It’s also important to know that therapy doesn’t have to be a years-long journey of rehashing painful memories every week. There are more intensive options available for those who are ready.
Why Therapy Intensives Work
Traditional therapy often operates within a weekly, hour-long format. While this can be helpful, it can also feel slow or insufficient for those dealing with deeply rooted trauma. Therapy intensives, on the other hand, condense months of therapeutic work into a span of a few days.
In an intensive, clients typically spend several hours a day over the course of two to five days working closely with a trauma-informed therapist. This format allows for deep, uninterrupted processing, integration, and transformation.
Clients often report significant shifts in their symptoms, insights into their patterns, and a renewed sense of hope and agency. It’s not a shortcut or a "quick fix" but rather a concentrated opportunity for healing in a safe, supportive container.
Therapy intensives are ideal for people who:
Feel stuck in weekly therapy
Want relief in days, not years
Are navigating a life transition or relationship crisis
Live with chronic emotional or physical pain
Final Thoughts
If you’re living with complex PTSD, please know that your symptoms are not your fault—they are survival strategies that once helped you get through something overwhelming. Healing is not about "getting over it" but rather learning how to feel safe, whole, and connected again.
In Part 2 of this blog series, I’ll share more about the treatment modalities that work for complex PTSD, and how to navigate work and relationships while in recovery.
You are not broken. You are healing. And you deserve to feel better.
(Arkansas and Colorado Residents Only)