CPTSD – How We Repeat What Is Unresolved and How to Break the Cycle
If you find yourself stuck in a pattern of painful sensations, emotions, feelings, situations, or even relationships, you might be in a cycle of trauma reenactment.
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is a condition from prolonged trauma exposure. Unlike traditional PTSD, which is triggered by a single traumatic event, CPTSD develops in response to prolonged exposure to trauma, such as childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, or captivity. Individuals with CPTSD often re-create and repetitively relive the trauma in their present lives, called reenactments.
Reenactments
People who have experienced prolonged trauma are often unable to process the trauma. Instead, they may find themselves repeating patterns of behavior that mirror the trauma they experienced. These patterns are known as reenactments.
Reenactments can take many forms. Some people may find themselves in abusive relationships, repeating the abuse they experienced as a child. Others may struggle with substance abuse or other self-destructive behaviors. Regardless of their form, reenactments are a way of trying to make sense of the trauma and regain control over what happened.
Unfortunately, reenactments rarely lead to processing and transforming the trauma. Instead, they perpetuate the cycle, reinforcing the belief that the individual is helpless and that the trauma will continue to dominate their lives. Breaking free from the cycle of reenactment is essential to resoloving CPTSD.
The Addictive Nature of Trauma
One of the reasons that reenactments can be so difficult to break free from is that the nature of trauma can be addictive.
This addiction is not a conscious choice but rather a result of how trauma affects the brain.
When we experience trauma, our brains and bodies flood with stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones create a powerful sense of fear and anxiety, which can be overwhelming. To counteract these feelings and sensations, our endocrine system releases endorphins, which provide a sense of euphoria and relief.
Over time, our brain and body become conditioned to associate trauma with these feelings of relief. This conditioning can lead to a cycle of addiction, in which the individual seeks out trauma to experience the relief it provides.
Breaking free from this addiction requires a conscious effort to recognize the pattern and seek healthier coping mechanisms.
Reexperience
One of the hallmarks of CPTSD is the tendency to reexperience past trauma. When they encounter a threatening situation, trauma survivors may reexperience their old, unresolved feelings of terror and helplessness.
These feelings will then overwhelm their psyches and prevent them from taking appropriate action, thus leading to a reenactment and re-victimization.
Reexperiencing trauma can be incredibly distressing and make everyday life feel like a minefield. Even seemingly innocuous situations can trigger intense feelings of anxiety and fear. Over time, this can lead to a sense of isolation and despair, as the individual feels unable to escape the trauma that dominates their life.
The Importance of Integration
Breaking free from the cycle of trauma requires a conscious effort to integrate the unresolved feelings that underlie the trauma. This process can be difficult, and it may require the help of a trained therapist or counselor.
Integration involves:
- Acknowledging the trauma.
- Accepting the feelings that arise in response to it.
- Working to normalize those feelings.
It also involves developing healthy coping mechanisms, such as breathwork, meditation, and exercise, that can help individuals healthily manage their feelings.
While the process of integration can be difficult, it is also essential to healing from CPTSD. Only by acknowledging and integrating the trauma can individuals hope to break free from the cycle of reenactment and move forward into a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Breaking the cycle of repeating unresolved trauma can be a challenging process, but there are several effective ways to do so. Here are a few strategies:
- Seek support: Working with a therapist or other professional specializing in trauma can be incredibly helpful in addressing unresolved trauma. This can provide a safe and supportive space to explore and process difficult emotions and experiences.
- Practice somatic self-love: paying attention to our physical sensations and responding to them with care and compassion. It involves engaging in somatic practices, such as breathwork, nature bathing, and felt-sense focusing, that help us become more attuned to our bodies and develop deeper self-awareness. Doing so can release tension, reduce stress, and cultivate a greater sense of ease and comfort in our bodies.
- Build healthy relationships: Healthy relationships with supportive and trustworthy people can help you feel more secure and less alone. It can also provide a safe space to process and discuss your experiences.
- Educate yourself: Learning about trauma and its effects can help you understand your experiences and provide context for your thoughts and behaviors. It can also help you develop coping strategies and identify resources for supportt.
CPTSD is a complex disease that requires support, somatic self-love, tenderness, patience and often professional help to resolve. The cycle of reenactment and addiction can be challenging to break, but it is possible with the proper support and tools. By acknowledging the trauma, integrating the unresolved feelings, and developing healthy coping mechanisms, individuals with CPTSD can move forward into a healthier, more fulfilling life, free from the cycle of trauma and reenactment.
References
Horowitz MJ: Stress Response Syndrome. Northvale, NJ, Jason Aronson, 1976
Kardiner A: The Traumatic Neuroses of War. New York, P Hoeber, 1941
Krystal H: Trauma and affects. Psychoanal Study Child 1978; 33:81–116 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Sharfman MA, Clark DW: Delinquent adolescent girls: residential treatment in a municipal hospital setting. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1967; 17:441–447 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Herman JL: Trauma and Recovery. New York, Basic Books, 1992
van der Kolk BA, McFarlane AC: The black hole of trauma, in Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society, edited by van der Kolk BA, McFarlane AC, Weisaeth L. New York, Guilford, 1996, 3–23
Russell DEH: The Secret Trauma: Incest in the Lives of Girls and Women. New York, Basic Books, 1986
van der Kolk BA, Greenberg MS: The psychobiology of the trauma response: hyperarousal, constriction, and addiction to traumatic reexposure, in Psychological Trauma, edited by van der Kolk BA. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Press, 1987, 63–87
Browne A, Finkelhor D: Impact of child sexual abuse: a review of the literature. Psychol Bull 1986; 99:66–77 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Briere J, Runtz M: Post sexual abuse trauma, in Lasting Effects of Child Sexual Abuse, edited by Wyatt GE, Powell GJ. Newbury Park, CA, Sage, 1988, 85–100
Chu JA: The repetition compulsion revisited: reliving dissociated trauma. Psychotherapy 1991; 28:327–332 [Google Scholar]