Physical Symptoms
Sections:
Ideally, stress is temporary. However, when a stressful situation persists, it can result in the body remaining in a state of high alert without the ability to rest.
Traumatic stress is the result of an event that has threatening implications, in which you become immobilized without a way to escape. In such a situation, the fight-or-flight response was unsuccessful and you were left feeling helpless.
During any stressful event, the body will produce cortisols, the chemicals associated with the sympathetic nervous system and the fight-or-flight response.
When stress is ongoing, the body will continue to produce high amounts of stress chemicals In contrast, unresolved C.PTSD is actually associated with chronically low levels of cortisols within the bloodstream.
This does not mean that your body is producing fewer cortisols. In fact, the body continues to release high amounts of stress chemicals; however, the physiology of unresolved PTSD involves a change in how your body processes these cortisols.
As a result, PTSD is associated with frequent bursts of cortisol and chronically low levels of available cortisols in the bloodstream.
This is the physiological explanation of the classic alternation between feeling overwhelmed and shut down it is as if you are driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brakes.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a significant role in our emotional and physiological responses to stress and trauma.
The ANS is understood to have two primary systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
The sympathetic nervous system is associated with the fight-or-flight response, and the release of cortisols throughout the bloodstream.
The parasympathetic nervous system puts the brakes on the sympathetic nervous sys-tem, so the body stops releasing stress chemicals and shifts toward relaxation, digestion, and regeneration.
The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are meant to work in a rhythmic alternation that supports healthy digestion, sleep, and immune system functioning.
However, chronic stress and unresolved C-PTSD can interfere with the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which impacts physical health.
CHRONIC STRESS, TRAUMA, AND HEALTH
There exists an inverse relationship between stress chemicals (bloodstream cortisol levels) and immune system functioning. When bloodstream cortisol levels are high, the immune system is suppressed.
In contrast, when bloodstream cortisol levels are low, the immune system is enhanced or "unchecked." The immune system is associated with inflammation in the body.
This inflammation is necessary when we are fighting off a virus or bacteria. However, when the immune system continues to inflame without a target, there is a greater likelihood of long-term physical health problems.
Health problems associated with chronic stress, in which cortisols are high and immunity is suppressed, include:
High blood pressure: Blood pressure is increased, which is associated with
hypertension and heart disease.
Blood sugar imbalances: Blood sugar remains elevated to maintain a fight-or-flight response, leading to increased risk for hypoglycemia and diabetes.
Food cravings: Cravings for sweets, carbs, salt, vinegar, and spices can lead to emotional eating when they continue over time.
Addictions: It is common to seek out temporary stress relief from the quick fix of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or other drugs, contributing to the development of unhealthy habits.
Sluggish digestion: Chronic stress interferes with digestion, because digestion is a nonessential activity when we need to flee or fight a predator, and so it shuts down when the body is stressed
* Suppressed immunity: Ongoing suppressed immunity is associated with an
increased susceptibility to disease and cancer.
Health problems associated with unresolved
PTSD, in which bloodstream cortisols are low and immunity is unchecked, include:
• Digestive disturbances: The parasympathetic nervous system is associated with enhanced digestion. However, too much of a good thing can wreak havoc.
In the case of chronic PTSD, there is an overproduction of stomach acids and a greater likelihood of digestive conditions such as acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome.
Sleep disturbances: Normally, cortisol rises rapidly after we wake, gradually falls over the day, rises again in the late afternoon, and then falls again, reaching a low point in the middle of the night.
The circadian rhythm, or our body's clock, is patterned through the cortisol rhythm. With chronic PTSD, there is an abnormally flattened circadian cortisol cycle that has been linked to fatigue and insomnia.
Autoimmune disorders: When there is no virus or bacteria that needs to be fought, the unchecked immune system will target healthy tissue, leading to increased vulnerability to autoimmune disorders.
IN PROGRESS
SOURCES:
CPTSD
Workbook, Arielle Schwartz PhD/ CPTSD Treatment Manual__CPTSD: From Surviving
to Thriving, Pete
Walker__www.verywellmind.com/what-is-complex-ptsd__psychcentral.com/ptsd/complex-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-symptoms#common-triggers__goodtherapy.org/dissociation-c-ptsd-role-of-detachment-in-complex-trauma___crappychilhoodfairy.com/cptsd-behaviors-like-narcissism__Crittenden,
P. M., Heller, M. B. (2017). The roots of chronic posttraumatic stress
disorder: Childhood trauma, information processing, and self-protective
strategies. Chronic Stress, 1, 1-13
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2470547016682965__Kessler, R. C.,
& Bromet, E. J. (2013). The epidemiology of depression across cultures.
Annual Review of Public Health, 34, 119–138. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031912-114409__Lawson,
D. M. Treating adults with complex trauma: An evidence-based case study.
Journal of Counseling and Development,
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcad.12143 Sar, V. (2011, March
7)__Developmental trauma, complex PTSD, and the current proposal of
DSM-5__European Journal of Psychotraumatology,
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3402/ejpt.v2i0.5622__Tarocchi, A.,
Aschieri, F., Fantini, F., & Smith, J. D. Therapeutic assessment of complex
trauma: A single-case time-series study. Clinical Case Studies, 12, 228–245. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1534650113479442__https://www.verywellmind.com/agoraphobia-101-2584235__Avoidance
Behavior, Written by Silvi Saxena MBA, MSW, LSW, CCTP, OSW-C/Reviewed by Raiy Abulhosn
MD__ https://psychcentral.com/pro/complex-ptsd-and-the-realm-of-dissociation
SOURCES:
CPTSD
Workbook, Arielle Schwartz PhD/ CPTSD Treatment Manual__CPTSD: From Surviving
to Thriving, Pete
Walker__www.verywellmind.com/what-is-complex-ptsd__psychcentral.com/ptsd/complex-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-symptoms#common-triggers__goodtherapy.org/dissociation-c-ptsd-role-of-detachment-in-complex-trauma___crappychilhoodfairy.com/cptsd-behaviors-like-narcissism__Crittenden,
P. M., Heller, M. B. (2017). The roots of chronic posttraumatic stress
disorder: Childhood trauma, information processing, and self-protective
strategies. Chronic Stress, 1, 1-13
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2470547016682965__Kessler, R. C.,
& Bromet, E. J. (2013). The epidemiology of depression across cultures.
Annual Review of Public Health, 34, 119–138. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031912-114409__Lawson,
D. M. Treating adults with complex trauma: An evidence-based case study.
Journal of Counseling and Development,
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcad.12143 Sar, V. (2011, March
7)__Developmental trauma, complex PTSD, and the current proposal of
DSM-5__European Journal of Psychotraumatology,
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3402/ejpt.v2i0.5622__Tarocchi, A.,
Aschieri, F., Fantini, F., & Smith, J. D. Therapeutic assessment of complex
trauma: A single-case time-series study. Clinical Case Studies, 12, 228–245. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1534650113479442__https://www.verywellmind.com/agoraphobia-101-2584235__Avoidance
Behavior, Written by Silvi Saxena MBA, MSW, LSW, CCTP, OSW-C/Reviewed by Raiy Abulhosn
MD__ https://psychcentral.com/pro/complex-ptsd-and-the-realm-of-dissociation