CPTSD

You tell yourself you’re overreacting or feel embarrassed by how intense things can feel. Wondering why small things feel so big and hit so deeply. Or you just shut down and find it really hard to get back.

What if your reactions actually make sense?

This is often what living with Complex PTSD (CPTSD) can feel like.

It’s not just about one traumatic event.

It’s about repeated experiences where you may not have felt safe, seen, or supported , and often over time.

CPTSD can show up in ways you might not realise:

– Feeling constantly on edge, like something bad is about to happen

– Overthinking everything you said or did

– Struggling to trust others… or even yourself

– Feeling ‘too much’ or ‘not enough’ at the same time

– Finding it hard to switch off, relax, or feel calm

– Shutting down, going numb, or needing to withdraw

– Being highly sensitive to tone, mood, or perceived rejection

It’s exhausting.

Often, people around you don’t see it because on the outside, you look ‘fine’. And if you’re ever asked, you reply ‘I’m fine’.

Inside, it can feel like you’re constantly waiting for something to happen, so you need to be ‘ready’.

CPTSD is a nervous system that adapted to survive. A nervous system that was doing its job…protecting you...helping you survive.

You needed that once and it did a great job, it helped you get through something difficult.

But what helped you survive then, could now be getting in the way of how you want to live.

You don’t need the same protection anymore but your nervous system is still there, doing what it’s been doing for so long and doing so well.

With the right support and with time (which can feel incredibly frustrating), it’s possible to allow your nervous system to begin to feel safer, more regulated, and more like yourself again. Or to even discover who that is or what that feels like, if you don’t know or remember feeling any different.

Your experiences have shaped you so far but they don’t have to define your future. It can be hard to believe right now or even consider, but believe me…..I know 💛