A bit of truth-telling: I have complex PTSD (C-PTSD). More people are familiar with PTSD proper, which can happen when one has experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event—such as an experience in war, a mugging or sexual assault, a car crash, a natural disaster. Complex PTSD happens when a traumatizing pattern of experience persists over a long period, especially if this happens when you are younger, with fewer resources to cope with the experience. It results in the body when you have been in a “freeze and appease” posture (ie dissociation) for a long time while under threat—when the body’s natural fight-or-flight mechanism is ignored. While the physiological cues are all there, telling you to flee, you can’t. On the outside, you freeze. And eventually, the physiological cascade in your body becomes hyper-activated. It does not shut off…. {Read remainder of article on Patheos HERE.}
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Chris, when I wrote this, I didn't think about how it could help people understand others in their lives who have C-PTSD. Thanks for letting me know this helped you.
And thank you, friend, for the paid subscription. So grateful.
I have been lucky enough not to have had any debilitating traumas in my life, but I know a lot of people who have had, and your explanation helps enormously in my being able to understand them, what they've been through, and how it might still be affecting their behavior and/or their health.