What is CPTSD? Understanding Complex Trauma

At How We Heal CIC, many of the people we support are living with the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). While most of us have heard of PTSD, fewer people know what CPTSD is — or how deeply it can affect daily life. By understanding CPTSD, we can begin to reduce stigma, offer compassion, and create safe pathways for recovery.

PTSD vs. CPTSD: What’s the Difference?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) usually develops after a single traumatic event, such as a car accident, assault, or natural disaster.

Complex PTSD (CPTSD), on the other hand, develops after prolonged or repeated trauma — often in situations where escape didn’t feel possible. Examples include:

• Childhood neglect or abuse

• Domestic or intimate partner violence

• Being in unsafe or controlling environments over time

• Repeated exposure to traumatic events

The repeated nature of these experiences often leaves a deeper imprint, not just on memory, but on the nervous system, relationships, and sense of self.

Common Symptoms of CPTSD

Everyone’s experience is unique, but some of the most common features of CPTSD include:

• Re-experiencing: Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories.

• Hypervigilance: Feeling constantly “on edge” or unsafe, even in safe environments.

• Emotional regulation difficulties: Intense emotions, numbness, or feeling “shut down.”

• Negative self-beliefs: Deep feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness.

• Relational struggles: Difficulty trusting others, fear of abandonment, or conflict in relationships.

• Body-based symptoms: Chronic pain, tension, headaches, digestive issues, or fatigue — reflecting how trauma is carried in the body.

  
  

The World Health Organisation officially recognised CPTSD as a distinct diagnosis in the ICD-11 in 2018, validating what survivors have long known: complex trauma has its own unique challenges.

How Trauma Affects the Body and Mind

Trauma isn’t only a memory stored in the brain. Research in neuroscience (such as Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score) shows that trauma is stored in the nervous system and the body.

• When trauma is ongoing, the body can get “stuck” in survival modes: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.

• This makes it harder to feel safe, calm, or connected — even long after the trauma has ended.

• Over time, the nervous system can become sensitive, reacting to small triggers as if danger were still present.

Understanding this helps explain why healing requires more than talking — it often involves working with the body as well as the mind.

Can People Recover from CPTSD?

Yes — while recovery can take time, healing is possible. With the right support, survivors can:

• Learn grounding techniques to manage flashbacks and anxiety

• Build healthier relationships and boundaries

• Reconnect with their bodies in safe ways

• Cultivate self-compassion and resilience

There is no one-size-fits-all path, but approaches like therapy, peer support, community connection, and body-based practices (such as trauma-informed yoga and somatics) can be powerful tools.

Our Commitment at How We Heal CIC

At How We Heal: Trauma Recovery & Wellbeing CIC, we believe that survivors of complex trauma deserve compassion, safety, and choice in their healing journey. Through trauma-informed workshops, somatic practices, and community support, we help people affected by CPTSD rebuild trust in themselves and find new ways of living beyond survival.

If you’d like to learn more about how trauma-informed yoga and somatic practices can support CPTSD recovery, check out our next blog post here.