Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) is a condition quite often rooted in trauma experienced at a very young age. Meanwhile, its often severe symptoms can get worse over time. If this sounds cruel and unfair, you’re not alone. But it’s all the more reason to learn more about complex trauma and take swift action to address its insidious and lingering outcomes.
To refresh your perspective, C-PTSD is similar to PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The defining difference lies in the chronic nature of complex trauma. Someone with C-PTSD has endured repetitive abuse and suffering — typically as a child. Unless it’s effectively addressed, the symptoms of complex trauma can progressively worsen.
Complex PTSD Can Have an Ongoing Impact
People who report multiple forms of childhood adverse events (ACEs) face a higher risk — 54 percent higher risk — of a lower life expectancy. ACEs are a strong predator of C-PTSD. In other words, if C-PTSD is shown to reduce one’s life expectancy, this is the epitome of something getting worse with age. But what are the underlying mechanisms?
Some of the Reasons C-PTSD Gets Worse with Age
The Presence of Chronic Stress
Prolonged trauma causes a correlated rise in stress hormones. This ongoing reality can result in a wave of outcomes that worsen over time, e.g. high blood pressure, chronic pain, sleep problems, digestive disturbances, inflammation, and rapid aging. That last item speaks volumes in terms of this post. An accelerated aging process combined with lower life expectancy lands C-PTSD in the category of “urgent” when it comes to recovery.
C-PTSD’s Effect on Mental and Financial Health
The textbook signs of complex trauma not only make it difficult to live a functional, meaningful life, but they also directly contribute to other obstacles. For example:
- Co-morbid mental health issues like depression, anxiety, dissociative disorders, and borderline personality disorder.
- C-PTSD symptoms increase the probability that a survivor will not report worsening problems because that would involve more people being introduced into their daily life.
- Folks who struggle to maintain relationships, hold down a job, or stay on top of healthcare needs will almost certainly experience financial concerns.
Why Else Would C-PTSD Get Worse with Age?
Like anyone else entering into a new phase of life, they will face new factors like:
- Having more free time — allowing for traumatic memories to have more space to re-emerge.
- The older you get, the more traumatic loss you will experience.
- Factors like retirement and/or empty nest syndrome make you feel like you lack purpose.
- Physical signs of aging, e.g. loss of certain abilities along with medical issues, being with them an increased risk of depression and low self-esteem.
Steps a C-PTSD Survivor Can Take
While going through the treatment you need, there are personal steps that can mitigate the worsening of complex trauma symptoms. A few to consider:
- Give your life a workable structure that provides balance and motivation.
- Learn new skills and develop new hobbies.
- Build a non-judgmental social support network and practice opening up to them about your triggers and needs.
The most life-altering step, of course, is recruiting the help of a trauma-informed therapist.
How Therapy Can Help
As I’ve discussed, there are a few different ways to address C-PTSD at any stage. Options include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Somatic therapies
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
But before you get to such specifics, the most powerful and calming step would be to speak with someone who gets it — someone who can get you on the path to recovery. You can heal and thrive again. I’d love to help you reclaim your life so let’s connect soon.