Understanding Trauma, PTSD & Complex PTSD: The Invisible Wounds That Shape Us

Trauma is more than just a bad experience—it’s an imprint on the brain, body, and nervous system that can shape how we think, feel, and move through life. It doesn’t just go away because time has passed. Instead, it lingers, sometimes in the form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD (CPTSD), affecting everything from relationships to self-worth to our ability to feel safe in the world.

Despite growing awareness, many people misunderstand trauma—what it is, how it manifests, and what healing really looks like. This blog is here to shed light on the reality of trauma, the difference between PTSD and CPTSD, and how to begin the journey of healing.

Be sure to tune in to our Self Reflections Podcast where we discuss the impact of trauma with our guest Sean Philander. Head to YouTube or Spotify to hear real stories and strategies.

What is Trauma? The Event vs. The Impact

Trauma is often thought of as the event itself—something horrific, dangerous, or deeply distressing. But in reality, trauma is not just what happens to you; it’s what happens inside of you as a result of what you experienced.

Two people can go through the same event and have completely different responses. What determines whether an experience is traumatic is not just the severity of the event, but also:

• How much support you had afterward

• Your past experiences with stress and adversity

• Your ability to process and regulate emotions

• Whether your nervous system felt overwhelmed beyond its capacity to cope

Trauma can be broken down into different types:

1. Acute Trauma

Trauma caused by a single, overwhelming event (e.g., a car accident, assault, natural disaster).

2. Chronic Trauma

Trauma that happens repeatedly over time, such as ongoing abuse, domestic violence, or long-term bullying.

3. Complex Trauma (CPTSD)

A prolonged, repetitive exposure to trauma, often occurring in childhood or within relationships where escape isn’t possible. It fundamentally alters a person’s sense of safety, trust, and self-worth.

PTSD vs. Complex PTSD: What’s the Difference?

Both PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and CPTSD (Complex PTSD) stem from traumatic experiences, but they manifest differently:

Symptoms	PTSD	CPTSD
Cause	A single traumatic event (e.g., assault, accident, war)	Repeated, prolonged trauma (e.g., childhood abuse, domestic violence, captivity)
Flashbacks & Nightmares	Yes, reliving the traumatic event vividly	Yes, but often mixed with emotional flashbacks
Hypervigilance & Anxiety	High alert, easily startled, difficulty relaxing	Chronic hypervigilance, deep-rooted fear of people or situations
Emotional Numbing	Detachment from emotions, feeling “empty”	Persistent emotional dysregulation, mood swings
Dissociation	Feeling disconnected from reality	Severe dissociation, identity struggles, loss of self
Negative Self-View	Shame and guilt related to the trauma	Deep-rooted sense of defectiveness, worthlessness
Relationship Struggles	Fear of intimacy, avoiding triggers	Fear of abandonment, toxic relationship patterns, difficulty trusting others

Breaking it Down Further

• PTSD is often linked to a single, high-impact event. It results in fear-based symptoms like hypervigilance, nightmares, and avoidance of triggers.

  
  

• CPTSD develops from prolonged trauma, especially in environments where there was no escape (e.g., childhood neglect, domestic violence, captivity). It impacts core identity, emotional regulation, and relationships, making a person feel fundamentally broken.

Many people with CPTSD don’t even realise they have trauma—they just assume they are “too sensitive,” “overreactive,” or “difficult,” when in reality, their nervous system has been shaped by chronic stress and survival mode.

The Science of Trauma: How It Changes the Brain

Trauma isn’t just psychological—it physically changes the way the brain functions.

• Amygdala (Fear Center): Becomes hyperactive, making a person constantly on edge and reactive.

• Prefrontal Cortex (Rational Thinking): Becomes weaker, making it harder to regulate emotions and separate past from present.

• Hippocampus (Memory Processing): Struggles to store trauma as a past event, making it feel like it’s still happening.

This is why people with PTSD or CPTSD struggle with triggers—their brain is wired to expect danger, even when none is present.

Healing from Trauma: What Really Works?

Healing isn’t about “forgetting” the trauma—it’s about reprocessing it so that it no longer controls your emotions, relationships, and sense of self.

Here are some evidence-based approaches to healing:

1. Therapy & Trauma Processing

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Helps the brain reprocess trauma memories so they are no longer overwhelming.

• Somatic Therapy: Focuses on how trauma is stored in the body and helps release it through movement, breathwork, and grounding techniques.

• Schema Therapy: Addresses deep-rooted beliefs about self-worth formed in childhood trauma.

Note: Our clinicians at Self Reflections are skills in all types of trauma focused therapies to help you on your journey. Click here to be taken to our online portal to book an appointment. Or if you would prefer our team to get in touch, fill out our contact form here.

2. Nervous System Regulation

Since trauma keeps the body stuck in survival mode, healing requires regulating the nervous system through:

• Breathwork & Cold Therapy: Helps calm the overactive amygdala (fear response).

• Yoga & Movement: Releases stored trauma from the body.

• Mindfulness & Meditation: Helps rewire the brain to separate past from present.

3. Rebuilding Self-Trust & Safety

For CPTSD survivors, healing isn’t just about overcoming triggers—it’s about rebuilding a sense of self that was lost in the trauma.

• Self-Compassion: Learning to treat yourself with kindness rather than self-criticism.

• Setting Boundaries: Recognising and enforcing what is safe and acceptable in relationships.

• Inner Child Healing: Acknowledging past wounds and learning to re-parent yourself with love and care.

Key Takeaways: You Can Heal from Trauma

✔ Trauma is not about what happened to you, but how it changed you. Healing is about reclaiming your sense of safety, self, and power.

✔ PTSD and CPTSD are different—CPTSD comes from repeated trauma and deeply affects identity and relationships.

✔ Trauma physically changes the brain, but the brain is also capable of healing through therapy, nervous system regulation, and self-work.

✔ You are not weak for struggling with trauma—you are strong for surviving it. Healing is uncomfortable, but it is worth it.

✔ You still have one more move. No matter how hopeless it feels, healing is always possible.

If You Are Struggling with Trauma…

• You are not alone.

• You deserve support.

• Healing is possible.

If you recognise yourself in any of the symptoms of PTSD or CPTSD, consider reaching out for professional support. Trauma does not define you—your healing will.

Resources & Support:

• If you or someone you know is struggling, seek out trauma-informed therapy. Our clinicians at Self Reflections are skills in all types of trauma focused therapies to help you on your journey. Click here to be taken to our online portal to book an appointment. Or if you would prefer our team to get in touch, fill out our contact form here.

• Practice small steps toward nervous system regulation—breathwork, mindfulness, grounding techniques. We love the Breahtly app or Smiling Mind.

• Listen to other people's stories of trauma and healing on the Self Reflections Podcast. Head to YouTube or Spotify to hear real stories and strategies.

• Connect with supportive communities—healing happens when we feel seen and heard.

  
  

Join the Conversation

Did any part of this blog resonate with you? Have you experienced the impact of trauma or started your own healing journey? Let’s start a conversation in the comments.

If you found this post helpful, share it with someone who needs to hear this message today. You are not alone.

Warm wishes,

The Self Reflections Team