by Ilona Rakauskaite
Trauma
Often, people believe that trauma is sustained from one singular, threatening event. However, we now know that this stereotypical definition of trauma meets the criteria and understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
However, it is possible to also experience trauma from multiple contexts, such as events or relationship experiences. This is known as Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). Some symptoms can include emotional flashbacks (for no apparent reason), child-like
helplessness, overwhelming feelings of abandonment and depression possibly transpiring from emotional abuse and neglect. CPTSD is also called relational trauma. In the Attachment Theory, it is explained via secure and insecure attachment styles (ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganised). We all as humans, are social beings and we need each other.
Unfortunately, due to the relational trauma, we might find it difficult to bond with, create and maintain relationships, assert and even discern boundaries; we might feel distrustful or hostile towards the world and feel that the world is hostile to us; due to CPTSD we might have difficulty in regulating our emotions: disassociating, getting confused, becoming aggressive or not treating ourselves as of the first importance (freeze, fight, flight and fawn responses).
It well might be that our childhoods were fairly decent, and no major cataclysms happened, and our parents did take care of us in the best way they could, however we might be overlooking that they cared about us not in the way we needed. If you refer yourself for the CPTSD treatment, I promise, we will not be criticising your parents. As a matter of the fact, we will be looking into empowering you by looking into the unpleasant feelings like envy, low self-image, comparing yourself to others, shame, addiction, anxiety, depression, chronic stress, various illnesses, procrastination. What is denied, unnamed, in the shadow, it causes feelings of shame, embarrassment, masking, overcompensating. Once we uncover and make sense out of the nonsense, it’s highly likely that you feel much better about yourself. See also “Identity Issues and Self-esteem” section.