Neurodiversity and Complex PTSD
According to CPTSD.org, Complex-PTSD describes:
The results of ongoing, inescapable, relational trauma. Unlike Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Complex PTSD typically involves being hurt by another person. These hurts continue, repeat, and often involve a betrayal and loss of safety.
Dr Pyral, an expert in Neurodiversity, interviewed trauma expert Lisa Copper Ellison, who gave a resounding yes to the question of whether Complex-PTSD is a neurodivergent condition. She goes on to categorise this condition as an affective disorder, meaning the person is not born with complex PTSD, but develops the condition through chronic exposure to traumatic events.
Years of research have revealed chemical, hormonal, and neurological changes in the brain, which indicate that sufferers of Complex-PTSD are indeed neurodiverse. The other conditions more commonly associated with neurodiversity are ASD (autistic spectrum disorder), Bipolar, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The latter are mental health and developmental disorders, whereas complex PTSD is an acquired condition.
Studies have shown that there are several physiological changes in the brain caused by prolonged exposure to trauma. These include shrinkage of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory formation and contextual processing. This change in the structure can create intrusive, often fragmented memories of traumatic events. The amygdala becomes hyperactive, and this can cause heightened emotional responses and elevated anxiety.
Executive function and emotional regulation are linked to the prefrontal cortex, and trauma has been found to reduce this activity. This can impact the ability to manage stress, make decisions, and regulate emotions because those with complex PTSD have reduced activity in this area. The persistent fear so intrinsic to sufferers is thought to be linked to an altered anterior cingulate cortex. This part of the brain contributes to emotional processing and fear extinction.
The prefrontal cortex, which plays a crucial role in executive function and emotional regulation, often shows reduced activity in individuals with PTSD. This diminished prefrontal control can result in difficulties managing stress, making decisions, and modulating emotional responses. Additionally, the anterior cingulate cortex, involved in fear extinction and emotional processing, may exhibit altered functioning in PTSD patients, contributing to the persistence of fear responses long after the traumatic event has passed.
If you haven’t had a headache yet, wait until we get to the hormones! I’ve talked about these in another blog, where I highlight all the joys of menopause! If you are brave enough to survive menopause and complex PTSD, this information will resonate!
When we consider the ability to regulate mood, we often take for granted that a nice walk, a hot bath, or a talk with a close friend can improve our well-being. But what if none of these had the chance to work because we have an innate difference in our brain chemistry that reduces our chances of balancing our mood? Remember a couple of blogs ago, the article called Happy Hormones, where I talked about serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and more? Would you be surprised to know that with complex PTSD, these hormones, called neurotransmitters, can be dysregulated? Symptoms like emotional numbing and anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure) are linked to altered dopamine signalling. Furthermore, norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter involved in the “fight/flight” response, can be elevated in the condition. This explains why sufferers (including me!) have a heightened startle response. Boo!
Many other hormones act as neurotransmitters in the brain, which, as a result of complex PTSD, affect the perception, behaviour, and emotional responses of the individual. For many years, I believed I was short-tempered, irritable, and impulsive. These traits were mirrored back to me over the years, from the critical eye of family members and sometimes friends. I reluctantly owned the labels, leading to a fractured self-esteem.
When you spend your life being criticised for certain behaviours, emotional responses, or decisions, it is incredibly validating to learn that your decision-making and responses are strongly influenced by a mental health issue, and in this case, a physiological health problem.
For so long, I thought that my impulsive behaviour reflected a reckless character, that my irritability was evidence that I was intolerant and impatient. I considered my choices over the years, and the coping mechanisms I resorted to indicated weakness of character. After four years of therapy (I’m still actively engaging with my trauma therapist) and a lot of research, I have recognised that many of my behaviours and emotional responses are indications of the decades of trauma.
It can be difficult as a sufferer of complex PTSD to learn self-compassion. It can be even more challenging to discover who you are. You may start to question the labels given to you over the years, stripping these back to reveal your true self. In therapy, with the support of a professional, it can be a powerful journey, one that leads you to develop an understanding of the true essence of who you are. This takes a lot of hard work, days, weeks, months, and years of processing, working through the wounds of trauma. Realising that complex PTSD is considered a neurodiverse condition gives me hope that this will lead to greater recognition, support, and validation for those who suffer. I designed my website and devote my time to writing about trauma in the hope of reaching as many sufferers as possible and contributing to raising awareness. As always with my blogs, I have a safety net (a habit from working as an ANP!). If you, or someone you know, is experiencing difficulties, whether trauma-related or otherwise, please reach
