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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after exposure to single or multiple events where there was the serious actual or threat of harm, injury or death to you or another person. Some experiences are easy to identify as being associated with trauma such as car accidents, assaults, domestic violence, robbery, work as a police officer, paramedic or in the defence forces. Other events may be less obvious such as bullying, birth experiences or medical procedures. How traumatic an experience is for a person may be influenced by a range of personal and circumstantial factors such the sense of powerlessness in the experience, general social support, whether the person has been exposed to trauma before or many other variables. PTSD can include a range of physical and psychological symptoms such as flashbacks, feeling anxious, angry or depressed, being easily startled, becoming obsessively focused on the events or avoiding things that could remind you of the traumatic experiences. In the immediate aftermath of a traumatic experience it is important to take good care of yourself, maintain social connection and routines wherever possible. If you or someone you know is experiencing ongoing signs of distress after being exposed to trauma your GP is often a good place to start.

More recently, psychologists have come to understand Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) as a physical and psychological response to prolonged traumas such as childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, the experience of war or living in highly troubled communities. Common features of C-PTSD include feelings of shame, low self-worth (or feeling like an imposter) and periods of anxiety or depression. Depending on the psychological defences people developed to cope with the trauma, the impact of C-PTSD may show itself in wide variety of ways including addictions, patterns of co-dependence in relationships, difficulty trusting or being vulnerable, difficult regulating emotions or a tendency to dominate others. 

There has been extensive research in both PTSD and C-PTSD, leading to vast improvements in our understanding and the quality of treatment available. All psychological therapy should now be trauma-informed, meaning that it takes into account the potential impact of trauma when understanding and treating mental health conditions, both in terms of the treatment itself and the way that a service operates. Treatment for the impact of trauma will often start with information about the way the brain and body responds to traumatic experiences to help you to understand your current symptoms better. Some therapies such as Eye-Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) and Somatic therapy (including therapy that applies the principals of Polyvagal theory) will work directly on processing the trauma in the brain and body. Other cognitive and behavioural therapies such as Schema therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help to manage trauma symptoms and improve adjusting to life after the trauma and general functioning. Your psychologist will work with you to develop an individual treatment plan that is best suited to your needs and goals.

For complex trauma, Blue Knot provides advocacy and resources: Supporting adult survivors of childhood trauma & abuse (blueknot.org.au)

For PTSD, help and resources can be found at the charity Fearless and at Anxiety, depression and suicide prevention support - Beyond Blue

 

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