CPTSD Symptoms: Depression, Anxiety, and The Please Response

Keywords: CPTSD Symptoms.

The responses with complex trauma aren’t just limited to fight, flight, or freezing but also involves the please or fawn response.

In this conversation with Dr. Art O'Malley, we explore the complexity of trauma and how suppressed anger can contribute to anxiety and depression later on in life. We started by talking about expressed anger that has been put in place to protect oneself from further abuse. That suppressed anger is covered up by a fawn or pleasing response; and adaption pattern, again, to survive in an abusive environment. Over time, when the please response starts to become second nature, you might start to forget about the held in anger.

Anger, Lack of Self-esteem, and CPTSD Symptoms

That suppressed anger, which is part of a CPTSD symptom, in adult life will start to surface as anxiety. When boundaries aren't established, it takes away clarity of who you are and what your needs are. That lack of boundaries, then, gives rise to anxiety and, further on, even possibly depression.

In addition, we discuss and explore ways of working through these CPTSD symptoms to integrate the fragments that are part of the dissociation response.

The Therapeutic Work for CPTSD Symptoms

Through carefully expressing boundaries and anger, within a safe therapeutic setting, a client can start to own the fragmented parts and work towards healing. It will take persistence, dedication, and patience, but it is possible to rebound after trauma.

Did you resonate with this video and the CPTSD Symptoms we addressed? Leave your comment below.

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