Understanding Complex Trauma

WHAT IS COMPLEX TRAUMA? Many children who grow up in dysfunctional/ 'unhealthy' families or institutions, experience inadequate or damaging parenting or even more serious emotional, physical or sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment. The fallout from this is known as complex trauma. Children who come from such environments can experience a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties later in life. These difficulties can include negative self-belief and feelings of shame and guilt, relationship difficulties, poor self-esteem and self-worth, self-sabotage, hopelessness, imposter syndrome, distrust, problems regulating emotions and behaviour, lack of confidence, the urge to self-harm, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, insecurities, anger management and feelings of inferiority. Research indicates that over 95% of addicts and alcoholics grew up with complex trauma. We live in a culture where complex trauma can be all around us but goes largely misunderstood and unrecognised for the damage that it creates. Many of us struggle with issues in life without understanding the root causes of those issues. We need to understand how we were raised, understand how we were influenced and formed by our upbringing and understand how we can now take control of our lives and influence ourselves positively, how we can recover from complex trauma.This book examines a wide variety of the characteristics of complex trauma, provides multiple self-diagnostic tools in the form of questionnaires and self-introspection questions, along with practical suggestions, tools and techniques that will help you to understand the impact of your childhood experiences and to take steps towards overcoming the difficulties that you experience today.