This Page is nearing completion. Additional contributions may yet be made. Formatting has yet to be applied to ease access. Apologies for any scroll related Injuries.

Glossary of Common CPTSD Terms & A link to the General Terminology Dictionary

Many of us started our journey by wondering about symptoms and behaviors that felt irrational and inexplicable at the time. Or you might be needing an explanation of terms commonly used in this sub to describe CPTSD and its treatments. Here is a link to a well-documented dictionary of most common terms used to describe CPTSD and other trauma-related conditions: http://traumadissociation.com/glossary

A few other common terms that are not present in Trauma & Dissociation Glossary, but can also be useful:

ACE Score - ACE is the acronym of adverse childhood experiences. Having witnessed domestic violence between caregivers, having been exposed to a caregiver’s addiction, mental illness, imprisonment, having experienced poverty and food/shelter insecurity are common examples of ace. There is a direct correlation between a high ACE score and a number of health problems and shortened lifespan. You can test your ACE score at this link: https://stopabusecampaign.org/take-your-ace-test/

Armoring (or Body Armoring) – It is often said that trauma is stored in the body, and armoring, the chronic muscle tension resulting from PTSD and CPTSD’s constant stress, is one of the most common examples of this. Here is a useful link with a detailed explanation.

Attachment – It’s the natural bond between a child and a primary caregiver (Bowles). Stable, secure attachments provide a foundation to stable relationship and a positive sense of self. Other attachment styles are anxious-preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant, and fearful avoidant. Complex PTSD is often understood as a disorder of attachment, and CPTSDers often exhibit disorganized attachment (cycling between different insecure styles) Understanding attachment styles is very important in healing, and healthy, positive attachment is also one of the most important factors in a successful and healing therapeutic alliance; according to Levine and Heller (2014) attachment style can also be changed throughout one’s life, for better or for worse.

Coping – This term refers to the behavioral and cognitive efforts made by individuals in attempting to deal with stressful situations. Trauma is by definition an experience that exceeds a person’s natural ability to cope; therefore, sufferers of CPTSD (and PTSD) can exhibit a number of “maladaptive” coping behaviors, from substance use to dissociative tendencies, from self-harm to excessive daydreaming, and many others.

Dissociation: the term indicates an alteration in the functions of memory, identity, self-awareness, awareness of surroundings or consciousness. It’s a common defensive mechanism from trauma. Examples of dissociative states include: flashbacks, daydreaming, blanking out or having gaps in one’s memory, and the inability to remember traumatic events—all of which are common among sufferers of CPTSD (and PTSD).

Hyperarousal/Hypoarousal – Hyperarousal is a state of acute alert that is often experienced by sufferers of PTSD and CPTSD: examples of this include flashback, suicidal states, aggression or anger, startle reaction, difficulty sleeping or focusing. The opposite, hypoarousal, is a state of numbing down or disconnect that is often expressed through dissociative states, amnesia and/or extreme fatigue. These states are just outside one’s natural window of tolerance (see entry); among trauma survivors, it’s extremely common to shift from one to the other.

Resilience Score – it’s the counter to the ACE score. If adverse childhood experiences result in early trauma and high health risks, resilience factors protect a child’s sense of self and basic safety. An example of resilience factor is the presence of other supportive adults inside or outside the family (teachers, coaches, religious leaders, etc.). You can test your resilience score here.

Shame (or Chronic/Toxic Shame) is a strong feature of Complex-PTSD. It is often expressed through self-negative statements (“I’m bad”, “I’m always wrong”, “I can’t do anything right”, “I deserve this”) that are linked to learned helplessness and hidden perfectionism. It is, in essence, a defense mechanism: by blaming him/herself for the abuse, the victim attempts to take control of the situation. This is also a maladaptive coping strategy, and one that – if unchecked – can be an obstacle to recovery.

Stockholm syndrome (or Traumatic bond) – It describes the profound bond that is often created between victim and abuser: it can be understood as a profound loyalty towards the abuser despite the fact that the relationship is detrimental to the victim. It is enforced through the alternation of reward and punishment; its typical consequences are chronic isolation, mistrust of potential rescuers, and support of the abuser’s reasons and behaviors. Source: {https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traumatic_bonding}

Window of tolerance – It’s a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegel, and it’s used to describe the normal flow of mental states in a person that is securely attached. Trauma disrupts this by artificially shrinking one’s natural window of tolerance. so that one is easily triggered into hyper- or hypoarousal. Effective therapy broadens one’s window of tolerance over time. (Source {https://www.attachment-and-trauma-treatment-centre-for-healing.com/blogs/understanding-and-working-with-the-window-of-tolerance})