Complex Trauma and Emotional Dysregulation

There is a Link

Shirley J. Davis
4 min readJul 8, 2024

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Photo by Adrian Dascal on Unsplash

Everyone experiences days where they feel out of sorts or unable to face the new day. However, because of complex trauma, survivors often feel out of touch with who they are and feel their lives are out of control and overwhelming.

This article shall explore the link between complex trauma and emotional dysregulation.

What is Complex Trauma

The concept of complex trauma explains the long-term effects of multiple traumatic events, such as childhood neglect and abuse. The events that cause complex trauma are severe and chronic, involving, as stated, abuse and neglect plus violence, discrimination, or living in a war zone.

Other causes of complex trauma may include:

· Being a victim of an organized sex trafficking ring

· Forced to work in brothels

· Being traded by an intimate partner for sex

· The long-term care of a chronically ill family member

Children cannot escape and often are forced to keep their abuse secret or to deny it happened. Experiencing complex trauma disrupts a child’s natural development and their ability to form secure attachments.

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Shirley J. Davis

I am an author/speaker/grant writer in the U.S. My passion is authoring information about mental health disorders, especially dissociative identity disorder..