Complex PTSD in Teens: Healing From Developmental Trauma in Adolescence

Complex PTSD in teens can quietly shape how a teenager’s brain, body, and sense of self develop, especially during adolescence, when it may feel like everything is already changing. In the following sections, we give an overview of the most common of these impacts. 

Effects on the Brain and Body

For teens who have lived with ongoing trauma, their nervous system often learned to prioritize survival over growth. It’s crucial to know that this wasn’t a conscious choice made by the child; rather, it’s an adaptation that has kept them safe. 

When a young person grows up in environments that feel unpredictable, emotionally overwhelming, or unsafe, their stress response can become overactive. This may lead to the nervous system dysregulation teens with C-PTSD often experience, where their body stays on “high alert” even after the threat has passed. They essentially remain in “survival mode,” which causes the “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn” response that teens may grapple with daily. These stress responses can even be triggered by everyday situations, for instance, school pressure or disagreements with friends.⁷

Emotional Regulation Issues

The link between trauma and emotional regulation in teens may be especially difficult to manage. Adolescence and puberty often bring significant hormonal changes and mood swings, and while intense emotions may hit a teen fast, calming down may take much longer because of hypervigilance. 

Alternatively, hypervigilance and emotional numbness may occur as a defense mechanism, causing a teen’s nervous system to be on high alert while their emotions are flattened or detached completely. On top of this, a teenager’s impulse control is often weaker because the parts of the brain responsible for planning are still developing. Therefore, they may be easily overruled by the survival response.⁸

Dissociation

It may be useful to know that the emotional dysregulation C-PTSD teens experience may include dissociation, where the connections between thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and sensations are disrupted.¹ A common example of dissociation is daydreaming. However, dissociation exists on a spectrum. 

Trauma-related dissociation in adolescents can be a protective mechanism that allows a person to mentally escape a situation that they cannot leave physically, such as in cases of trauma. This type of dissociation may manifest as someone feeling detached from their body (depersonalization) or feeling as though things aren’t “real” (derealization).⁵

Self-Perception and Relationship Challenges

Changes to the brain and a teen’s ability to manage their emotions healthily are not the only prolonged trauma effects adolescents experience. Complex trauma can also affect their self-image and relationships. 

Depending on the traumatic experiences they have lived through, children may not feel certain of who they really are on the inside, what they value, or what drives them. For example, in cases of neglect or abuse, they may feel that they are “worthless” or are to blame for the abuser’s behavior.⁹ This can fuel the identity disturbance teens with trauma often find challenging.¹⁰ 

Also, chronic shame and trauma often go hand in hand, with many teens internalizing feelings of shame, causing them to feel “different” from other people. Because of this developmental trauma, teens may find it difficult to trust others, even when they truly crave connection. 

As you may recognize, complex PTSD can impact adolescents in ways that can remain with them throughout their entire lives if left untreated. Fortunately, effective treatment options are available, which are discussed in the following sections.