What Is CPTSD? Understanding Complex PTSD and How to Heal

Complex PTSD (CPTSD) isn’t just about what happened to you—it’s about what’s still happening inside you. Unlike traditional PTSD, which often stems from a single traumatic event, CPTSD develops over time from prolonged emotional, psychological, or relational trauma. If you’re feeling emotionally raw, stuck in survival mode, or like you’ve been misdiagnosed for years, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. You may be living with CPTSD.  

At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we specialize in helping people who’ve been carrying invisible wounds finally get the care they deserve. 

CPTSD vs PTSD: What’s the Difference? 

While PTSD is often triggered by a specific traumatic event (like a car accident or natural disaster), CPTSD typically develops from repeated trauma over months or years—often in relationships where escape wasn’t possible. Think childhood neglect, narcissistic abuse, emotional invalidation, or long-term domestic violence.  

Key differences: 

• PTSD often presents as fear-based flashbacks tied to a single event. 

• CPTSD involves chronic symptoms like emotional dysregulation, difficulty with relationships, shame, and identity disturbances. 

• If traditional therapy or medications haven’t helped, this may be why. 

Common Symptoms of CPTSD You Shouldn’t Ignore 

You may have CPTSD if you experience: 

• Emotional flashbacks or panic without a clear trigger  

• Deep feelings of shame, worthlessness, or "not enough-ness" 

• Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe in relationships  

• Chronic anxiety or shutdown responses (freeze, fawn) 

• A harsh inner critic or relentless self-blame 

• Ongoing dissociation or feeling disconnected from your body 

• Exhaustion from constantly trying to hold it all together 

These are not personality flaws. They’re survival responses—and they’re treatable. 

What Causes CPTSD? 

CPTSD stems from ongoing exposure to traumatic or emotionally abusive environments, especially in early development. Causes include: 

• Childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse 

• Neglect, abandonment, or emotional invalidation 

• Living with a caregiver with a mental illness or addiction 

• Repeated exposure to systemic racism, marginalization, or violence 

• Domestic abuse or controlling relationships 

• Prolonged medical trauma or institutional abuse 

It’s not just about what happened to you—it’s about what didn’t happen: safety, validation, and connection.  

How CPTSD Shows Up in Daily Life 

Here’s where CPTSD becomes uniquely confusing: you can be highly functional and still deeply unwell. 

You might:  

• Excel at work but collapse emotionally after hours  

• Numb out with distractions to avoid feelings  

• Struggle with boundaries but don’t know how to assert them  

• Feel intense fear around abandonment—even in stable relationships 

• Live in constant "fight, flight, freeze, or fawn" mode 

Many patients tell us: “I didn’t even realize this wasn’t normal.” 

How CPTSD Is Diagnosed and Treated 

While CPTSD isn’t officially listed in the DSM-5, it is recognized by the World Health Organization (ICD-11)—and most trauma-informed clinicians know what to look for.  

At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we take a whole-person approach: 

• Psychiatric evaluation by trauma-trained professionals  

• Personalized medication management, only when helpful  

• Evidence-based therapy, including EMDR and trauma-focused CBT 

• Supportive care plans that evolve with your healing 

You don’t need to relive your trauma to recover. You need safe, steady, connected care. 

Why Neuroplasticity Is Key to Healing from CPTSD 

CPTSD doesn’t just impact your emotions—it literally rewires your brain. Long-term trauma can shrink the parts of your brain responsible for memory, self-regulation, and decision-making, while over-activating the areas that keep you stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. 

That’s why healing CPTSD isn’t just about processing the past. It’s about building neuroplasticity—your brain’s ability to grow, adapt, and create new, healthier pathways. 

The good news? You can strengthen your brain’s resilience at any stage of recovery. And at Axis, we offer cutting-edge treatments that specifically enhance neuroplasticity—helping you get unstuck when nothing else has worked. 

TMS for CPTSD: Rewiring Your Brain Without Medication 

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate underactive brain regions linked to mood, focus, and emotion regulation. 

By boosting neuroplasticity, TMS helps: 

• Reduce emotional reactivity and hypervigilance 

• Lift the fog of depression and disconnection 

• Improve sleep, focus, and emotional clarity 

• Retrain the brain out of trauma-driven patterns  

TMS is FDA-cleared, covered by most insurance, and has no systemic side effects. For many patients with CPTSD, it’s the breakthrough they’ve been waiting for—especially when traditional medications haven’t helped. Insurance can cover treatment with a comorbid diagnosis for depression or we have a discounted cash pay rate.  

Spravato (Esketamine): Fast-Acting Relief for Trauma That Won’t Let Go 

If you feel like you’ve hit a wall, Spravato may be another powerful option. This fast-acting, FDA-approved nasal spray enhances neuroplasticity in key areas of the brain affected by chronic stress and trauma. 

At Axis, we’ve seen Spravato help patients with CPTSD who experience: 

• Emotional numbness or feeling “disconnected” from life 

• Persistent suicidal thoughts or hopelessness 

• Resistance to traditional antidepressants 

• A sense of being stuck in survival mode 

Spravato doesn’t erase trauma, but it creates the mental flexibility and emotional capacity needed to heal. Many of our patients say it helped them feel again, sometimes for the first time in years. Again, like TMS, Spravato is covered by insurance if CPTSD is comorbid with depression.  

You Don’t Have to Start Over—You Just Need the Right Support 

Already working with a therapist or psychiatrist? Great. You don’t have to switch providers or start from scratch to access TMS or Spravato. At Axis Integrated Mental Health, we work in collaboration with your existing care team, or become that care team if you need one. 

Our goal is to give you more tools, not more stress. 

CPTSD Treatment Options in Colorado: Boulder, Denver & Westminster 

Whether you're searching for “CPTSD treatment near me” or exploring options in Colorado, Axis offers compassionate psychiatric care and therapy in: 

Denver – We’re in Aurora off of I-25 and Mississippi 

Boulder – In Louisville near the Cinnebar movie theater 

Westminster – Accessible for northern metro and suburban communities and just off of Sheridan 

Telehealth – HIPAA-compliant virtual care, wherever you are 

 We specialize in trauma-informed psychiatry that understands you’re not being “dramatic”—you’re doing your best to survive. 

Why Axis Integrated Mental Health Is Different 

Most clinics treat symptoms. We treat people. Here’s what sets us apart: 

• Trauma-trained psychiatric providers who listen and understand how gender bias can affect treatment.  

• Integrated care: psychiatry + therapy + step-down support  

• No one-size-fits-all meds or therapy scripts 

• Safe, nonjudgmental space for every gender, background, and story 

• Proven support for those who’ve “tried everything” and still feel stuck 

• Insurance covered treatments to reduce overall mental health costs 

We see the whole you, not just your diagnosis. 

Ready to Start Healing? Book a CPTSD Evaluation Today 

CPTSD is real. And so is recovery. You don’t have to keep holding it all together alone. 

Book an evaluation with our trauma-informed providers today—at our Denver, Boulder, or Westminster locations, or from the comfort of your home.