Date of publishing: 02.12.25
Author: Anastasia Kaminskaia
I felt called to write this article after noticing how often trauma and the different types of trauma are misunderstood. It remains a relatively new field that we are collectively exploring as we navigate our own traumas. Many people I meet and work with lack the foundational understanding of trauma. So if you’re fairly new to the topic, I hope what I share next will help make things clearer.
Quite a lot of time has passed since we first began using the word "trauma." The term itself has existed for centuries, although our modern understanding of psychological trauma has gained real momentum only in recent decades. I believe it may still take a long time for us to reclaim our reality and our sanity, because the system does not benefit from healthy, self-aware individuals, and therefore it often pushes back against acknowledging our lived experiences. That is what is now happening at the systemic level with the acknowledgment of cPTSD in the psychotherapeutic world.
I also noticed that while the topics of trauma and particularly cPTSD are becoming increasingly prominent in the English-speaking world, this is not necessarily the case in other parts of the globe. In many countries, there may be far less understanding of trauma and far more stigma and prejudice surrounding it, which makes healing almost unattainable for some groups and individuals.
What is Trauma?
"Trauma is any event that overwhelms the ordinary human adaptations to life" - Judith L. Herman.
Trauma is a phenomenon that is hard to define because it can manifest in limitless ways. It has always been a significant part of our lives. Trauma is not an event but how we process that event through our unique physiology and soul. It is what connects people and what disconnects people. Trauma can be literally anything that is too much and too soon for your system. More importantly, trauma is a lack of human connection, understanding and support. Even in the most horrendous life circumstances, if you have people who genuinely care about you, love you and support you, that connection reverses the effects of trauma on your psyche and your body. Trauma is a result of our total disconnection from one another and what allows the system to exploit us and keep abusing us.
Before we dive into discussing PTSD and cPTSD which are chronic manifestations of trauma, let's look at what happens first or prior to that.
Acute Traumatic Stress (ATS)
ATS is a common and relatively normal response after exposure to a traumatic event. It manifests as feelings of irritability, agitation, anger, panic and sadness. Somatically, a person with ATS might experience numbness (shock), shakiness, nausea, dizziness. When there is no one to support us at this stage, ATS can turn into a Chronic Traumatic Response.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
For a long time, psychologists were only aware of PTSD and thought of trauma as a single, overwhelming event that shakes you to your core. PTSD can result from wars, natural disasters, witnessing extreme violence, or any other event considered unusually harmful or catastrophic.
PTSD occurs when you do not have the resources to process the trauma leading to overwhelm and a shutdown of the brain’s ability to fully process the experience/events.
When it comes to PTSD, physiological and psychological effects persist for more than four weeks after the traumatic event. PTSD results from a single traumatic incident and typically manifests as:
intrusive memories or sensations (hyperarousal symptoms),
avoidance of reminders of the trauma,
and a heightened sense of threat or arousal - hypervigilance.
There is also a PTSD Dissociative Subtype which is characterised by
high severity PTSD,
predominance of derealisation (the world around you doesn't feel real) and depersonalisation (you body and your own self does not feel like your own),
experiencing moment where you feel like you're in a daze or fog (not medication induced),
difficulty remembering details of the traumatic event.
"Being traumatised means continuing to organise your life as if the trauma were still going on - unchanged and immutable - as every new encounter or event is contaminated by the past." - Bessel van der Kolk.
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
cPTSD survivors have been suffering in silence for a very long time, largely because until recently, cPTSD was not even a term we could relate to. However, it has now gained recognition within the psychological community, which helps us finally be heard and understood. This recognition allows us to cultivate self-compassion and gain a deeper understanding of how cPTSD has impacted our lives, bodies, minds, and souls.
The key word and the most frustrating word when it comes to the term cPTSD is "complex" because its complexity is overwhelming.
cPTSD results from exposure to severe stressors that:
are interpersonal in nature
are repetitive and prolonged
involve harm or abandonment by caregivers or other ostensibly responsible adults
occur at developmentally vulnerable times in the victim's life, such as early childhood and adolescence
were impossible to avoid/where escape was not possible (abuse, neglect, captivity, coercive control)
However, cPTSD can also develop in Adulthood and be caused by:
immigration and refugee status
violence, domestic violence
oppression, colonialism
discrimination based on racial, cultural, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, any personal characteristics or bodily traits unaccepted by the community
cyberbullying
human trafficking, kidnapping, abuse
historical or transgenerational trauma especially when prior trauma remains unacknowleged, unresolved, or is currently recurring
Key cPTSD symptoms include:
Emotional dysregulation (intense mood swings, persistent sadness, explosive anger, chronic numbness)
Negative self concept (deep shame, guilt, self-blame, feeling 'broken' or unworthy
Relational difficulties (distrust, fear of intimacy, unstable relationships, people-pleasing, avoidance)
Re-experiencing trauma (flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, emotional reliving)
Avoidance & Numbing (emotional shutdown, dissociation, avoiding triggers or reminders of trauma)
Hyperarousal/Hypervigilance (startle response, anxiety, sleep disturbances, scanning for danger)
Moreover, cPTSD leads to a significant split of the psyche and results in countless triggers or wounded inner children being constantly triggered by big and small situations. Survivors of cPTSD often engage in addictive behaviors as a self-protective strategy, such as binge-eating, alcohol use, retail therapy, drug consumption, and other coping mechanisms. If you have lived with cPTSD symptoms for many years, it is very likely that your health has also suffered a lot resulting in the development of a variety of chronic health conditions and mystery symptoms.
I hope that this article has helped you deepen your understanding of trauma, PTSD, and cPTSD. You may have even recognized some cPTSD symptoms in yourself. If this is your first time exploring these topics, perhaps this marks the beginning of a positive step in your journey - one that gives you the courage to seek support from a trauma recovery professional. Experiencing the right kind of support for your specific type of trauma is invaluable. Not every therapist or coach can provide that, so take the time to find someone who is truly the right fit for you.
P.S. If you’re seeking support for cPTSD and you resonate with the work I do in the world - you can always book a session with me. Wishing you an effective recovery journey. xx