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Complex
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder* refers to those who have suffered
prolonged, repeated trauma and abuse. This is often endured by those who have been in
any totalistic, abusive, mind-manipulating group. Trauma
is known to disrupt the chemistry in the brain.

A history of
subjection to totalitarian control over a prolonged period (months to
years) can result in CPTSD. Examples include hostages, prisoners of war, concentration-camp
survivors, and survivors of some religious cults. Examples also include
those subjected to totalitarian systems in sexual and domestic life,
including survivors of domestic battering, childhood physical or sexual
abuse, and organized sexual exploitation.
[NOTE: Not every
survivor will exhibit all of the following symptoms.]
Alterations in emotional
regulation, including:
Persistent dysphoria (sadness)
Chronic suicidal preoccupation
Self-injury
Explosive anger or extremely inhibited anger (may alternate)
Compulsive or
extremely inhibited sexuality (may alternate)
Alterations in
consciousness, including:
Amnesia or hypermnesia
for traumatic events
Transient dissociative
episodes
Depersonalization/derealization (feeling detached from one's mental
processes or body)
Reliving experiences,
either in the form of intrusive post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms
or in the form of ruminative preoccupation)
Alterations in
self-perception, including:
Sense of helplessness
or paralysis of initiative
Shame, guilt, and
self-blame
Sense of defilement or
stigma
Sense of complete
difference from others (may include sense of specialness)
Utter aloneness, belief no other person can understand, or nonhuman
identity)
Alterations in
perception of perpetrator, including:
Preoccupation with
relationship with perpetrator (includes preoccupation with revenge)
Unrealistic
attribution of total power to perpetrator (caution: victim's assessment
of power realities may be more realistic than clinician's)
Idealization or
paradoxical gratitude
Sense of special or
supernatural relationship
Acceptance of belief
system or rationalizations of perpetrator
Alterations in relations
with others, including:
Isolation and
withdrawal
Disruption in intimate
relationships
Repeated search for
rescuer (may alternate with isolation and withdrawal)
Persistent distrust
Repeated failures of
self-protection
Alterations in systems
of meaning:
Loss of sustaining
faith
Sense of hopelessness
and despair
Recovery from
Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
Establishing safety
Empowerment of the
survivor
Remembrance and
mourning
Reconnection
Excerpted from
Trauma and Recovery, by Judith Herman,
M.D.
*Also referred to as
complex post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Comment: Involvement
in mind manipulating groups can also cause "anxiety in re-socialization." Diagnosis
depends on the individual symptoms that appear, not the severity of the
experience. Competent counseling by someone who understands
trauma and/or cultic abuse is recommended when the former member is having
difficulty in recovering.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy: If you are struggling
with any kind of destructive behavior; i. e., suicidal behavior or
self-injury, Dialectical Behavior
Therapy (DBT) has been found to be helpful. This kind of therapy
helps survivors to use tools to control moods that can go out of control
very rapidly.
As one child survivor (who
underwent DBT) told us: "When you feel powerless,
you feel hopeless. Once
you realize that you have the power to change things in your life, you
will not feel you have to wait for people to be good to you. You have
the power to choose a better option."
EMDR: A
number of
survivors who have suffered trauma say they have been helped with a new procedure
called EMDR (Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing). However, therapists trained in
complex trauma-related conditions (including
mind control
trauma) have told
us that if the survivor is
dissociative, this
therapy can cause a flooding of memories. Please
discuss this, and any other questions, with a qualified therapist.
Critical Incident Stress Information Sheets
Brief sheets for
those who have experienced a traumatic event or critical incident (that
which causes unusually strong emotional reactions).
Includes: "Signs and
Signals of a Stress Reaction", "Things to Try" and "For Family Members and Friends."
(.pdf file)
Common
Emotional Difficulties After a High Demand Group
How do I recover
after exiting an abusive group? (Q&A)
Trauma
Resources
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