What is Complex PTSD and Its Role in Eating Disorders?
Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) can deeply affect how someone deals with food and eating. People who have gone through long-lasting trauma often struggle with eating disorders as a way to feel more in control of their lives. When someone has experienced repeated hurt or fear, they might use food or their body as a way to manage their emotions. This means eating can become more about dealing with pain than just getting nutrition. Their relationship with food becomes complicated, as they try to feel safe and powerful in a body that once felt weak or threatened. This blog shares more about what Complex PTSD is, how it impacts eating disorders, and some strategies for coping.
What is Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)?
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops after experiencing repeated, prolonged trauma over months or years. Unlike traditional PTSD, which typically results from a single traumatic event, C-PTSD occurs from ongoing, inescapable traumatic situations where a person has little or no chance of escape.
Common causes include long-term childhood abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, living in war zones, or being held captive. People with C-PTSD often experience repeated trauma during critical developmental periods, which can profoundly impact their psychological and emotional growth.
Key symptoms include:
Difficulty controlling emotions
Feeling disconnected from oneself
Negative self-perception
Trust and relationship challenges
Persistent feelings of helplessness
Hypervigilance and constant alertness
Flashbacks and intrusive memories
C-PTSD affects how a person sees themselves and the world around them. Survivors might struggle with feeling permanently damaged, experiencing deep shame, or believing they are fundamentally different from others. These feelings can lead to depression, anxiety, and challenges in forming healthy relationships.
Treatment typically involves trauma-informed therapy approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and specialized trauma therapies that help individuals process their experiences, rebuild a sense of safety, and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
How does C-PTSD impact eating disorders?
Complex PTSD can significantly impact how someone develops and experiences eating disorders. Survivors often use food and eating behaviors as a way to cope with overwhelming emotional pain and try to regain control over their lives.
People with C-PTSD might use eating disorder behaviors for a variety of purposes (even though they may know these strategies aren’t helpful in the long run):
Emotional Regulation: Trauma survivors frequently struggle to manage intense emotions. Eating disorders can become a way to numb feelings, create temporary emotional relief, or express internal pain that feels impossible to verbalize.
Body Protection: After experiencing trauma, some individuals view their body as unsafe or vulnerable. Eating disorders can be a method of trying to make themselves feel protected—either by becoming smaller and less noticeable or by creating physical barriers through weight changes.
Control Mechanism: Trauma often involves feeling powerless. Controlling food intake becomes a way to create predictability and a sense of personal power when other parts of life feel chaotic or unpredictable.
Dissociation: Many trauma survivors disconnect from their physical experiences. Disordered eating can be another form of dissociation, allowing them to feel detached from their body and painful memories.
Self-Punishment: Deep shame and self-blame are common in C-PTSD. Some survivors use eating disorders as a way of punishing themselves or expressing internal self-hatred resulting from their traumatic experiences.
How complex trauma shows up in eating disorder behaviors:
Complex trauma can manifest in eating disorder behaviors through intricate and deeply protective psychological mechanisms. For instance, someone who experienced childhood abuse might develop restrictive eating patterns as a way to make themselves feel smaller and less noticeable, unconsciously believing that being less physically present could prevent future harm.
Binge eating can emerge as a survival response to emotional numbness, with food becoming a method of temporarily filling emotional voids created by traumatic experiences. A person might eat large quantities quickly, almost dissociatively, as a way to self-soothe or momentarily escape painful memories and feelings of disconnection.
Purging behaviors often represent a complex attempt to regain bodily control. For trauma survivors who felt powerless during their traumatic experiences, induced vomiting or excessive exercise can feel like a way to manipulate their body's boundaries and create a sense of agency where they previously felt none.
Some individuals develop hyper-vigilant eating behaviors, meticulously controlling food intake as a way to create predictability in an internal world that feels fundamentally unsafe. This might look like extremely rigid meal planning, counting calories obsessively, or creating elaborate food rules that provide a sense of psychological safety.
These behaviors are not about vanity or willpower, but sophisticated survival strategies developed by a brain and body seeking to protect itself from perceived ongoing threats.
Professional trauma-informed therapy can help survivors understand these patterns, develop healthier coping mechanisms, and gradually rebuild a sense of safety and connection with their bodies.
How can someone cope with CPTSD?
Dealing with Complex PTSD can feel like a big challenge, but there are ways to help make things better. One of the most important first steps is getting help from a counselor who understands trauma. These specialized counselors can teach you how to handle tough memories and feelings without getting too overwhelmed.
Learning to understand and control your emotions is super important.
This might mean learning how to take deep breaths when you're feeling scared or upset, or finding ways to calm yourself down when memories start to feel too intense. Some people find it helpful to carry something comforting with them, like a soft rock to hold or a playlist of music that makes them feel safe.
Creating a sense of safety is really important for people with C-PTSD.
This could mean making your bedroom feel more comfortable, creating a daily routine that helps you feel more in control, or setting clear boundaries with people in your life. It's about finding ways to help yourself feel protected and secure.
Connecting with your body can also be a big part of healing.
Gentle activities like yoga, walking, or other movements can help you feel more comfortable in your own skin. These activities can help you learn to trust your body again and feel more connected to yourself.
Building a supportive group of people around you is another key part of healing.
This might mean joining a support group, talking to understanding friends or family members, or finding people who can listen without judging. The most important thing to remember is that healing takes time, and it's okay to be patient with yourself.
Healing from C-PTSD isn't about getting "fixed" – it's about learning to care for yourself, understand your experiences, and gradually feel more comfortable and safe in your own life.
How can someone get help for CPTSD and/or eating disorders?
Getting help for Complex PTSD and eating disorders can feel intimidating, but it's totally possible to get better with the right support. The most important first step is asking for help and knowing that you're not alone.
Professional help is very important. This means working with people who understand trauma and can help you heal. A special kind of therapist can help you learn how to handle tough memories and feelings. They might use different techniques to help you feel safer and more in control.
Some great resources for eating disorder support include:
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline: 1-800-931-2237
NEDA Website: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders: www.anad.org
Crisis Text Line (text HEAL to 741741)
Treatment can look different for everyone. Some people go to special programs that help them learn how to have a healthy relationship with food and their body. Others might work with a counselor who helps them understand their feelings and learn new ways to cope.
Support groups can also be really helpful. These are places where you can meet other people who understand what you're going through. You might find these groups at local counseling centers, schools, or online.
Remember, asking for help is super brave.
Healing takes time, and it's okay to go at your own pace. You don't have to fight this battle alone. There are people and resources out there ready to support you through your healing journey.
The most important thing to know is that what you're feeling is valid, and you deserve support, kindness, and healing. Take things one step at a time, be gentle with yourself, and know that things can get better.
Start Eating Disorder Treatment in Raleigh, NC
If you're looking for specialized support, Counselor Kate, PLLC offers compassionate help for people ages 19 and up dealing with Complex PTSD and eating disorders. I understand how trauma can impact your life and can provide a safe, understanding space to begin healing. My practice specializes in trauma-informed care that helps you feel heard, supported, and empowered to heal. I see folks in person in my Raleigh, NC office and virtually across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:
Read more about disordered eating in my blogs.
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Other Services Offered with Counselor Kate, LLC
At Counselor Kate, I aim to provide compassionate support to help individuals process and overcome their eating disorders. I’m also happy to offer support with releasing trauma stored in the body through trauma and somatic therapy. Rediscover a harmonious relationship between food and your body through my intuitive eating services! Visit my blog or resources page for more helpful info today!