Can Emotional Abuse Cause PTSD?
If you’re ready to do something about your PTSD abuse symptoms and finally move forward, please consider this.
I have a few personal questions I’d like to ask you. They’re about things you may have never discussed in detail with anyone before… but I think it could be valuable if you reflect about them, and be as honest with yourself as possible…
Before I ask them, let me quickly say that PTSD is now considered to extend beyond the trauma of war, rape, accident, and natural disaster to also include the trauma you may have experienced from abuse. In other words, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can give someone PTSD.
Not everyone with PTSD experienced childhood abuse or emotional trauma growing up, but there’s a lot of mental health research that shows most people in general probably don’t grow up with enough love and guidance necessary to form a healthy sense of identity and healthy relationships, which can itself be traumatic. Now on to the questions…
What Is PTSD Abuse & Its Long-Term Effects?
Do you feel like something’s missing when life’s going smoothly because you feel more alive during a crisis? Have you ever had trouble with intimate relationships or compulsively doing things like eating, working, or abusing substances… and did it ever make you think you need a change?
Have your feelings scared you to the point that you believed if you could just get one special kind of control, those feelings would vanish… and you’d be OK? At the same time, maybe you’re worried this won’t happen for you because you’ve tried things before… and you’re concerned you might not be able to break the cycle?
Because, on a slightly different note: Do you ever feel numb, sad, or alone? Maybe you find it hard to trust others and you get overwhelmed by the burden of your responsibility for everything? Perhaps you struggle with aches and pains, or chronic exhaustion?
And even though you’ve probably tried all the tips and tricks for what should work to help all this… it just doesn’t seem to last? These are all long-term effects of PTSD abuse symptoms, and if any of this hits home with you, luckily you’re not alone and there is help out there in the form of PTSD treatment.
What Is A Trauma Response To Emotional Abuse?
Maybe you’ve experienced reactions to emotional trauma like reliving it in flashbacks or feeling physical symptoms like a racing heartbeat. And it’s frustrating that when this process gets triggered by something happening in life… it feels like there’s nothing that’ll stop it.
Sadly, some people choose to endure their signs of PTSD rather than get help. Thankfully, others choose to work with a PTSD therapist. Either way, I believe someone with PTSD can start the healing process by addressing their “Inner Child.” (This is what the psychologist Carl Jung called the “Divine Child” and what Dr. Charles Whitfield calls the “Child Within.”)
In other words, it’s definitely possible for a person who has emotional trauma to heal by learning how to overcome their Inner Child’s emotional and psychological challenges. However, I’ve also seen that if someone doesn’t let the inner child have a voice or explore it in depth, that person’s unhealthy trauma responses will probably continue.
To make a long story short, I highly recommend if you’re someone who’s dealing with the PTSD abuse symptoms of emotional trauma that you go inside, work on your inner child issues, and you might see a “shift” happen for you over time. Because that part of you may have never had this or that emotional need met, and the trouble you’re in may be its way of telling you there’s something you need to look at. For example, if you had a need denied to you as a child in certain circumstances… you might over-indulge later as an adult.
Nevertheless, with the help of a PTSD therapist like me, you can identify what this part of you needs and we can work to get those needs met in healthy and constructive ways. I hope you reach out to me soon!
Find out more about PTSD Treatment.
About The Author
John Younes, JD, MA, LPCC, NCC is a trained counselor who owns a private practice in Denver, CO. In general, he specializes in depression treatment, anxiety treatment, and PTSD treatment using existential and cognitive therapy practices.
If you’re thinking about suicide and are in immediate danger, please call your local emergency number. For Denver, Colorado, call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.