Complex PTSD

From Surviving to Thriving

by Pete Walker

This book changed my life. It is a must-read if you’re seeking to understand the long-lasting effects of childhood abuse or neglect, including emotional neglect, in your own life or in others’.

Complex PTSD introduced me to the concept of emotional flashbacks, when a trigger can bring you back into a frightening and panicked “feeling-state” from infancy or childhood.

Emotional flashbacks are related to PTSD flashbacks (a wildfire survivor reacting to the smell of smoke, for example, or a veteran hearing the sound of gunshots), but they are harder to recognize, both internally and externally. The trigger is often something benign—an unanswered message, a certain tone of voice—and the flashback is to a spiralling emotional state that can last for hours, days, or weeks.

The book’s back cover calls this “a comprehensive self-help guide,” but it is also essential reading for anyone with a trauma-informed practice.

Additional content: Walker shares more of his writing about Complex PTSD in a series of free articles on his website, pete-walker.com.

(Format: I recommend the print book, as there are quite a few lists and charts that are harder to follow in the audiobook.)