Complex trauma refers to exposure to multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature, and the wide-ranging, long-term effects of this exposure. These events are severe and pervasive, such as abuse or profound neglect, and usually occur early in life, disrupting many aspects of a child’s development and the formation of a sense of self. Complex trauma can also occur as a result of experiences as an adult, such as violence in the home, family, neighborhood, or workplace.
Complex trauma can lead to complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which is a stress-related mental disorder that generally occurs in response to complex traumas. CPTSD is a long-term mental health condition that is often difficult and relatively expensive to treat and often requires several years of psychotherapy, modes of intervention, and a multi-modal approach.
Symptoms of complex trauma include feeling anxious, having flashbacks, avoiding people, places, or scenarios that upset you, and somatic (bodily) symptoms, like unexplained headaches or an upset stomach. Mental health disorders commonly associated with complex trauma include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), and conduct disorder.
Treatment for complex trauma requires a multi-modal approach and should differ from treatment for PTSD by focusing on problems that cause more functional impairment than the PTSD symptoms. Six suggested core components of complex trauma treatment include safety, self-regulation, self-reflective information processing, traumatic experiences integration, relational engagement, and positive affect enhancement. Psychotherapy, specifically trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy, is the main treatment for complex PTSD.
