PTSD vs CPTSD

Your Body’s Natural Stress Response—And Why It Gets Stuck

Your body is wired to handle stress—it reacts automatically to danger with Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn responses. This is a survival instinct, and in the animal kingdom, it works seamlessly. But for humans, things don’t always reset the way they should.

• Animals instinctively release stress—they shake, run, or take deep breaths after a threat passes, allowing their bodies to reset.

• Humans tend to suppress this process—we hold in emotions, stay tense, or mentally push past an event without fully processing it.

• When stress isn't fully released, it gets stored—leading to long-term patterns like anxiety, hypervigilance, dissociation, or chronic tension.

• Over time, this stored stress can become trauma—showing up as PTSD, CPTSD, or persistent emotional and physical distress.

The good news? Just as your body holds onto trauma, it also has the ability to release it. With the right approach, you can complete the cycle and regain a sense of safety and balance.

Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD develops when a person experiences a traumatic event, and their nervous system doesn’t get a chance to fully process or release the stress. Instead, the body stays stuck in survival mode, reacting as if the danger is still present—even long after the event has passed.

• What can cause PTSD?

  • A single traumatic event, such as an accident, natural disaster, assault, or sudden loss.

  • Experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening situation.

  • High-stress professions, like military service or emergency response work.

• How PTSD affects the mind and body:

  • Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts.

  • Avoidance of reminders of the trauma.

  • Emotional numbness or feeling detached from life.

  • Heightened anxiety, hypervigilance, or sudden panic responses.

• The good news: Healing is possible.

  • The brain and body have the ability to reprocess trauma, even years later.

  • Somatic therapies like EFT and Hypnotherapy help release stored stress.

  • Guided techniques can help the nervous system complete its natural cycle and regain a sense of safety.

Understanding Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

CPTSD results from prolonged or repeated exposure to trauma, often in childhood or over an extended period. Unlike PTSD, which stems from a single event, CPTSD is linked to situations where escape wasn’t possible, leading to deep emotional and nervous system dysregulation.

• What can cause CPTSD?

  • Childhood neglect, abuse, or growing up in an unstable environment.

  • Long-term emotional, physical, or psychological abuse.

  • Being in a toxic or controlling relationship.

  • Chronic exposure to high-stress environments.

• How CPTSD affects the mind and body:

  • Deep-seated feelings of shame, guilt, or unworthiness.

  • Struggles with emotional regulation—feeling either numb or overwhelmed.

  • Chronic patterns of people-pleasing (Fawn), dissociation (Freeze), or hyper-independence (Fight/Flight).

  • Recurring relationship struggles due to trust and attachment wounds.

• The good news: Healing is possible.

  • Your nervous system can relearn safety, even after years of stored trauma.

  • Hypnotherapy, EFT, and somatic healing techniques help release emotional patterns stuck in the body.

  • By working with the subconscious and body, you can gently unravel old survival responses and create new, healthier ones.