![]() In general, children experiencing HBT are more likely to experience difficulties with cognitive and memory processes and more post-traumatic symptoms driven by a freeze response and hypoarousal, such as dissociation, than non-abused children or children who are abused by someone less close (Anderson et al., 2001 Freyd, 1994 1996 Hulette et al., 2008, Platt & Freyd, 2015. In next week’s post we will start by looking at attachment trauma. See if this diagram resonates with your experience.Over the next few weeks we are going to take a deeper look at the elements that comprise complex partner betrayal trauma. These three types of trauma-attachment trauma, emotional and psychological trauma, and sexual trauma-weave together, creating an overlapping, intertwined kaleidoscope of betrayal that often touches the nerve center of all three experiences concurrently.īelow is an info-graphic showing the way in which these three types of trauma come together to form complex betrayal trauma. Courtois’ description as a foundation, I define complex partner betrayal trauma as follows:Ĭomplex partner betrayal trauma is the overlapping of three types of traumatic impact experienced by betrayed partners that occur simultaneously and influence and exacerbate each other. In such cases, complex betrayal trauma is the only term that truly summarizes the level of stress, distress, and emotional fragmentation that betrayed partners experience. Moreover, it applies to adults who’ve experienced chronic relational trauma (for instance, ongoing sexual and emotional betrayal) that betrays the foundational trust in their primary relationship. It also applies to ongoing adversity and/or repression experienced by cultures, groups, and communities. Often, it is ongoing, a chronic situation that lasts for months or even years.Ĭomplex partner betrayal trauma is most often associated with children who experience this type of violation during key developmental moments. ![]() It contains an element of betrayal by a trusted person, and it happens more than once. Courtois defines complex betrayal trauma as: “multiple and repeated experiences of interpersonal trauma.” So complex partner betrayal trauma is both relational and repeated. ![]() She defines complex trauma as: “traumatic stressors that are interpersonal, that are premeditated, planned, and caused by other humans, such as violation and/or exploitation of another person.” ĭr. What makes betrayal trauma qualify as a complex trauma? Christine Courtois, PhD, is a psychotherapist who wrote the book on complex trauma. Your fear center hijacks your normal functioning, and you find yourself in a world where every task feels challenging, your mind will not stop racing, your emotions feel out of control, and your coping skills are stretched to the limit. This alters your ability to regulate your mood, to calm yourself, to think, to reason, and to make intelligent decisions. The fear center fires up and stays fired up, creating hypervigilance, restlessness, anxiety, and a sense of being perpetually on guard. When complex partner betrayal trauma occurs, your brain begins to operate in a different way. It yanks your sense of security out from under you and puts you in a state of emotional free fall. Complex partner betrayal trauma makes you feel like you are losing your mind.
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