PTSD and Complex PTSD: What It Is, How It Affects You, and How a Psychologist Can Help
Understanding Trauma and Its Lasting Impact
Trauma can change how you see yourself, others, and the world. While many people recover naturally after a traumatic experience, others continue to experience distress long after the event has passed. This is where conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) can develop.
Both can deeply affect emotional wellbeing, relationships, and daily functioning—but help and recovery are absolutely possible with the right support.
What Is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as an assault, natural disaster, accident, or other life-threatening situation.
Symptoms typically include:
Intrusive memories or flashbacks that feel like reliving the event
Nightmares or distressing dreams
Avoidance of reminders, people, or places connected to the trauma
Heightened alertness or startle response
Negative mood or self-beliefs, such as guilt or shame
Sleep and concentration difficulties
These symptoms are not signs of weakness—they are the mind and body’s way of trying to protect you after extreme stress.
What Is Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)?
Complex PTSD develops after long-term or repeated trauma, often during childhood or in situations where escape wasn’t possible—such as prolonged abuse, domestic violence, neglect, or captivity.
In addition to the core PTSD symptoms, individuals with C-PTSD often experience:
Chronic feelings of emptiness, shame, or guilt
Difficulty regulating emotions (feeling easily overwhelmed or numb)
A deep sense of worthlessness or “badness”
Trouble trusting others or maintaining relationships
Persistent negative self-view or identity confusion
C-PTSD reflects trauma that occurred in the context of powerlessness or attachment injury, meaning it often impacts how people relate to themselves and others.
How PTSD and C-PTSD Affect Daily Life
Trauma can influence nearly every area of life.
People living with PTSD or C-PTSD may experience:
Emotional exhaustion and hypervigilance, making rest or relaxation difficult
Social withdrawal or isolation due to fear or mistrust
Physical symptoms, such as muscle tension, headaches, or gastrointestinal distress
Difficulty maintaining employment or study routines
Relationship strain, often due to misinterpreting threat or struggling to communicate needs
Left untreated, these challenges can lead to depression, anxiety, substance use, or chronic health problems.
How a Psychologist Can Help
Sami can provide a safe, confidential space to explore your experiences and begin recovery. Evidence-based therapies for PTSD and C-PTSD include:
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT): helps identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and beliefs linked to the trauma.
Somatic and mindfulness-based approaches: support grounding and reconnecting with the body.
Compassion-focused and schema therapies: help rebuild self-worth, trust, and emotional regulation, especially for C-PTSD.
Recovery involves gently re-establishing safety, reconnecting with emotions, and learning to live beyond survival mode.
Reclaiming Your Sense of Safety and Self
Healing from trauma is not about erasing the past—it’s about regaining control over how the past affects your present. With professional guidance, you can learn to feel safe in your body again, rebuild relationships, and rediscover a sense of hope and purpose.
If you recognise yourself in any of these symptoms, please know that help is available. Working with a trauma-informed psychologist can be a powerful first step toward healing.
Next Steps
If you’d like to explore support for trauma recovery, you can reach out to our team of psychologists at Psych Sami & Co.
We offer confidential, evidence-based therapy for PTSD and C-PTSD, available online across Australia via secure telehealth platforms.
