Complex Trauma: What Is It?
Many people have heard about trauma, but have you heard of complex trauma? Today we will talk about this more intense form of trauma that often occurs early in life. Complex trauma can disrupt many aspects of a person's development and the formation of a sense of self. Since these events often occur with a caregiver, they interfere with one's ability to form a secure attachment. Many aspects of healthy physical and mental development rely on this primary source of safety and stability.
When an individual is exposed to multiple traumatic events in their life, oftentimes invasive and interpersonal experiences, there are lasting effects on their brain and behavior. When exposed to these traumatic events, such as abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence, many disruptions and changes occur to allow individuals to adapt to the stressors in the world. These changes are known as survival-based alterations, for they help the individual survive the trauma they have been through. Complex trauma exposure in childhood has been linked to the development of psychopathology, maladaptive coping, and heightened behavioral and health trajectories.
What Happens to the Brain?
Well, what happens to the brain if complex trauma is so intense? In childhood, there are sensitive periods in which specific brain regions and pathways are most vulnerable to the effects of trauma exposure. Some of the major survival-based alterations that can be seen in the body happen within the brain. Both structural changes, which are alterations to the volume or size of the brain, and functional changes, which refer to alterations to brain activity, can often be seen in these individuals. With structural changes, there is often an enlargement of the amygdala, or the alarm center of the brain. Shrinkage of the hippocampus, which helps people remember what happened during a traumatic experience, can also occur. In regard to functional changes, there is often an overproduction of stress hormones in childhood that wear down the immune system.
What Happens to the Body?
How does the body react to all of this trauma? Common reactivity that is seen is rapid breathing, heart pounding, or shutting down. These reactions are out of proportion with the stress and are often perceived as overreacting, unresponsive, or detached. Individuals often complain of chronic or recurrent physical complaints, such as headaches or stomach aches. Body dysregulation, seen as over over-responding or under-responding to sensory stimuli, can be seen through hypersensitivity to sounds, smells, touch, or light.
What About Emotions?
So, can these individuals control their emotions, or do they tend to have difficulty doing so? They may have unpredictable or explosive emotional responses that can be difficult to calm down from. Since truma is often interpersonal, mildly stressful social interactions can be triggering. If individuals are exposed to triggers that remind them of the trauma they experienced, they may tramble, avoid, or have strong feelings of anger or sadness. They may be hypervigilant and guarded when interacting with others, for they often perceive situations as dangerous or stressful.
How Do These Individuals Often Act?
If they have a hard time controlling their emotions, then how is their behavior influenced? Individuals can get easily triggered or “set off," which causes them to react very intensely. They may struggle with self-regulation (knowing how to calm down) and may lack impulse control or the ability to think through consequences before acting. Survivors of complex trauma may feel powerless or fearful, which can cause them to react defensively and aggressively in response to perceived blame or attack. They may behave in ways that appear unpredictable, oppositional, volatile, and extreme. This can be seen through assaulting others, stealing, running away, substance abuse, self-harm, and unsafe sexual practices. However, these individuals may be over-controlled, rigid, and unusually compliant with adults. They can also disassociate and seem spacey, detached, distant, or out of touch with reality.
What Can We Expect in the Future?
So, if all these changes are seen, what can we do to help them function as best as they can in life? Everyone has it in them to thrive, sometimes we just need a little help along the way.
Since it is learned from an early age that the world is unsafe and they cannot trust others, survivors of complex trauma often feel powerless to change their circumstances. Their negative beliefs about themselves, others, and the world diminish their sense of competency. These individuals’ negative expectations interfere with problem-solving, which ends up closing opportunities to make a difference in their own lives. It is a repeated cycle of self-fulling prophecy. A complexly traumatized person may view themselves as powerless and may perceive the world as a meaningless place in which planning and positive action is pointless. Having learned to operate in survival mode, individuals live from moment-to-moment without pausing to think about, plan for, or even dream about a future.
In order to plan for the future with a sense of hope and purpose, a person needs to value themselves. This requires a sense of hope, feelings of being in control of their own lives, and the ability to see their own actions as having meaning and value. Therapists can work with survivors of trauma to empower them and help them to find hope and identify their purpose in life.
“There is no timestamp on trauma. There isn’t a formula that you can insert yourself into to get from horror to healed. Be patient. Take up space. Let your journey be the balm.” – Dawn Serra
- Izzy Favela