Rik Stevens, CPTSD Mentor

  07948 153103  Studland Rd, Byfleet, West Byfleet KT14 7RE

What is CPTSD?

what is cptsd

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) can develop from the relentless exposure to traumatic incidents involving violence, injury or loss of life on the job. The chronic, inescapable nature of this trauma leads to emotional dysregulation, mistrust, and a persistent sense of threat.

What CPTSD Feels Like

Emotional dysregulation with intense mood swings, numbness or rage can occur. There may be a negative self-concept of feeling worthless or different from others. Relationships suffer due to difficulties with trust, intimacy and maintaining bonds.

Dissociation, where one feels detached from themselves and reality, is also common as a coping mechanism.

CPTSD makes you feel detached from your own reality, looking in on your life from the outside. You may struggle to be fully present with loved ones or find joy in things you once enjoyed. There’s a persistent feeling of emptiness, like something vital has been hollowed out from your core.

At its worst, CPTSD can make you feel fundamentally different – broken and separate from others who haven’t endured repeated trauma. You may wrestle with shame, believing there’s something inherently wrong or unlovable about you. Trusting others feels impossible when you’re haunted by grief, loss and memories that replay endlessly.

Signs You Need Help

Intense emotional reactions that feel uncontrollable – like anger, sadness, panic or feeling constantly on-guard and threatened, even in safe environments – are red flags that you may be struggling with CPTSD.

Avoiding people, places or situations that remind you of traumatic events is another common symptom, as well as feeling numb, detached or disconnected from your normal life and relationships.

For some, self-destructive behaviours like alcohol or substance abuse develop as a way to cope and numb out the pain. Having disturbing thoughts, memories or nightmares that keep replaying is also a sign of PTSD and CPTSD.

You may be plagued by negative beliefs about yourself – overwhelming shame, guilt or a sense of worthlessness. Persistent physical symptoms like chronic pain, fatigue or illness that don’t improve with treatment could also indicate your traumatic stress has turned into a physical condition.

Snap Back to Reality

Let’s shift gears and think about what relief could look like. There are evidence-based treatments I use to retrain your mind and body’s trauma responses, helping you regulate your emotions, and rediscover your sense of self, purpose and joy in life again. The path is there, even if it feels out of reach some days.

Restore your stress response and felt sense of safety

So you can be fully present, not constantly braced for threat. Guided meditation, breathing exercises, and hypnosis can retrain your nervous system’s stress response.

The sense of worthlessness, guilt, and distrust in self/others gets reframed through cognitive work. You’ll rebuild self-compassion.

Challenge and overcome your negative core beliefs

Process and handle stuck traumatic memories

Using therapy and hypnosis, we can desensitise and reprocess those intrusive memories weighing you down.

You’ll practice allowing emotional vulnerability again, rebuilding earned secure attachments.

Rebuild your emotional vulnerability

Enhance your mental resilience to cope with difficult events

Learn to regulate your emotions during times of stress and approach all situations confidently.

Get CPTSD Relief

get cptsd

My role is creating a shame-free space where you can explore whatever arises with curiosity, not judgment. I’ve walked this path myself and alongside many others with CPTSD. You don’t have to feel isolated – having a guide and community that truly understands can make a profound difference.