Stress and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

A Harmful Combination

Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Everyone experiences stress at one point or another in their lives. Perhaps you face a new boss at work or a medical problem of your own, or a family member. Countless incidents cause stress.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) deals primarily with trauma experienced in early childhood. CPTSD leaves those who have the disorder re-experiencing the horrific events that caused it.

This article will explore stress and how it interacts with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

What is Stress?

Stress is feeling emotional or physical tension because you are in an event or having thoughts that make you feel frustrated, nervous, or angry. Stress is a normal response to events over which we often have little or no control.

Not all stress is negative, as some incidents where humans feel stress are reasonable, such as planning a wedding or expecting a child’s birth. Indeed, stress is your body’s response to any demand or threat you may encounter in your daily life. When you sense danger, the body’s defenses are activated in a rapid automatic reaction.

Everyday stress is temporary and situational plus resolves naturally. However, stress can become toxic, leading…