Handling Complex PTSD and Parenting Effectively

How to Approach CPTSD and PTSD as a Parent With Trauma

Living with PTSD symptoms can make daily life difficult. Adding parenting stress to the mix can make it even more difficult and can impact the entire family. No loving parent wants their own children to live through traumatic events, but passing down the symptoms of PTSD can happen if parents don’t learn how to manage their unresolved issues.

Handling PTSD or Complex PTSD and parenting successfully for even the most resolute trauma survivors, but proven, accredited support is available at Catalina.

Catalina Behavioral Health is a top Tucson destination for recovery from Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) as well as PTSD. Our full continuum of care allows adults to receive treatment to learn to manage their triggers and stop the negative behaviors a young child will pick up on.

Overcoming the chronic stress of trauma symptoms is nearly impossible without receiving professional trauma-informed treatment. We encourage parents with PTSD to continue reading for a better understanding of how family members, especially children, feel as they witness their struggles.

We’ll also explain how our team can help address a parent’s PTSD to break the cycle to benefit children growing up in a home haunted by past traumas.

Trauma Symptoms Often Present in Parents with PTSD Symptoms

A child’s parent or caretaker has a significant impact on their behaviors. For instance, a small child who witnesses daily physical abuse in the home lacks the discernment to realize that violence is not a typical behavior. That can lead to issues at school when they start interacting with other children or teachers.

Here are some frequent symptoms and behaviors that trauma survivors can pass down to a child:

Emotional Dysregulation (Can’t Control Emotions)

Consistent traumatic experiences can lead to a loss of emotional control. Parents may have mood swings that include intense feelings of anger, sadness, and anxiety. They may not recognize the triggers of the mood swings and lack coping skills to control them.

When a child sees these outbursts, re: experiencing symptoms, they often have difficulty controlling their own emotions. They may start throwing temper tantrums or withdraw from other family members.

Difficulty Trusting in Others

Parenting with PTSD often means trust issues. In C-PTSD, these usually come from neglect or abuse in their own upbringing. They may gravitate to partners who do not treat them well or avoid long-term healthy relationships. Their mistrust can also prevent them from bonding appropriately with their own children.

Children in this position may feel the parent doesn’t love them. They grow up insecure, feeling unloved or neglected. They lack the skills to grow friendships and may feel very alone and socially isolated.

Low Self-Esteem and Self-Doubt

Some argue that the most important thing for a child is developing self-esteem. Children develop self-love by observing their parents. However, a parent who struggles with traumatic memories may feel unworthy or develop impostor syndrome. They continuously doubt their abilities and self-worth.

Parents with PTSD may accidentally project their negative feelings about themselves onto their children. These parenting situations may lead to a childhood of poor self-esteem and second-guessing. They may grow up to lack self-care tools and be full of fear about their worthiness.

Fear of Abandonment

C-PTSD often means a fear of abandonment that started in childhood. These parents’ symptoms include a fear of rejection, codependent relationships, and a life of people-pleasing. They may appear clingy or express great anxiety about a partner leaving, even if the partner engages in substance abuse or sexual assault.

These parenting experiences can heighten a child’s anxiety, making them nervous about casual, appropriate physical touch. They may become a victim of sexual abuse or develop mental health issues themselves as the parent’s PTSD erodes their ability to care for them. They may grow up unable to enjoy natural sexuality without distress.

Development of Unhealthy Coping Skills

Parents with unresolved trauma don’t have the tools to confront their traumatic event and manage the symptoms. Instead, they turn to unhealthy ways of dealing with what has happened in their past. For example, they may develop substance use disorder, self-isolate from friends and family members, or overeat.

A child is sensitive to their parents and has a limited understanding of how to cope with challenges. When they’ve seen parents using drugs, drinking, or overeating, they become more likely to adopt similar strategies.

Perfectionism and Overachievement

A parent’s PTSD symptoms can make them feel the need to overcompensate for perceived shortcomings. They excel in their education, careers, or personal lives to feel validated. While some view this as a person trying to reach for the stars, they actually continue to layer pressure on themselves and may eventually feel extreme anxiety.

Not only do the parents impose their goals on themselves, but the PTSD may also be projected onto their children. The child lives in a world of unrealistic expectations that cause anxiety or fear of failure. When a child feels this daily pressure, they have a greater risk of being diagnosed with a mental health diagnosis as an adult.

Catalina Takes a Holistic Approach to Parenting With PTSD

Parents who are survivors of childhood traumatic experiences usually want to shield their child from the bad things that happened to them. However, they lack the skillset to protect the child and end up perpetuating the trauma.

Breaking this cycle takes an evidence-based, holistic approach to treatment. National Veterans Homeless Support agrees that effective treatment of PTSD requires an all-in approach using multiple strategies. Our team has a thorough understanding of the trauma in parents and the entire family.

Individual Psychotherapy to Manage Trauma and Triggers

Catalina therapists provide several evidence-informed treatments according to the person’s specific needs. Each can help reduce the impact of trauma on parents, including:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy
• Cognitive Processing Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Our trauma-informed care methods reduce the triggers and help stabilize the emotions associated with complex PTSD symptoms.

Family Therapy

Family therapists lead family members of almost every age to improve communication and understanding. Loved ones learn how to offer support appropriately. It’s perhaps the most helpful when PTSD has impacted the family dynamics or broken relationships. Besides helping the mother, the child starts to learn that the trauma was not their fault.

Life Skills Training

It’s important for people with PTSD to learn practical skills to cope with stress, especially after trauma has happened. Our counselors can help parents learn how to manage everyday daily stressors. For instance, they may need help with time management, problem-solving, or self-care techniques to reduce the impact of stress on the body.

Physical Exercise Opportunities

Parents with PTSD symptoms benefit from regular physical activity, such as yoga, hiking, or working out at the fitness center. Exercise releases endorphins, which can help minimize the impact of stress on the body and improve satisfaction and happiness. Parents can bond with their children after treatment by sharing exercise activities with them, as well.

Proper Nutrition for a Healthy Mind and Body

A balanced, nutrient-dense diet means more than a healthy body. It can also support brain health and supports good mental health. While eating balanced meals, we also suggest avoiding caffeine, sugar, and highly processed foods that can degrade mental well-being of both parents and children.

Creative Therapies (Art/Music/Movement)

Art, movement, and music provide non-verbal ways for parents with PTSD to express and process their emotions. These are incredibly helpful for the survivor who struggles to explain their trauma verbally.

Using these treatments helps them explain their feelings, even when they’re not ready to state the words. It’s also a good tool to share with children, who benefit from these approaches’ creative, supportive nature.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation practices can help parents improve emotional regulation and decrease stress levels. The techniques both promote relaxation and help parents feel satisfied in the current moment instead of worrying about stressors of the past or future.

That results in fewer intrusive thoughts and less anxiety. More importantly, once they have a good understanding of the principles of meditation, they can pass the skills to their children.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by the Numbers

The National Institute of Mental Health has published statistics that show the number of adults who struggle with PTSD symptoms:

• 6% of American adults will develop PTSD in their lifetimes.
• 1 out of 30 adults self-reported PTSD present in the past year.
• 10% of women and 5% of men develop PTSD within their lifetimes.
• PTSD is most likely to be present in war veterans.

These numbers are significant but are missing data, such as breaking down how many mothers have PTSD and a breakout of CPTSD that started in childhood vs. PTSD. Regardless, it gives us a big-picture view of the scope of this widespread mental health concern.

Maya Is an Example of PTSD Treatment Success

‘Maya’ grew up in an impoverished rural community with limited resources – some of her neighbors didn’t even have running water in their homes. Substance abuse in the community was frequent, ranging from older children and teens to adults. Even Maya’s parents used heroin to dull the pain of their struggles. As she was being pulled into almost daily drug use, she realized the impact it could have on her young child.

So Maya was determined to break the cycles and to achieve recovery from trauma in order to do better for her child! She used her AZ Medicaid to commute to outpatient treatment at Catalina every day for 6 weeks. She worked with a therapist and received trauma-informed care for herself.

In these sessions, she unpacked her trauma and processed it under the guidance of a very kind counselor. She also invited her parents and child to come to family sessions to learn about the self-perpetuating cycle of trauma. When her parents didn’t see the light, she knew it was time to set some boundaries for the future.

Maya’s commitment to her mental well-being paid off. She became more emotionally resilient and learned appropriate coping tools. She also developed a feeling of self-worth for the first time. She’s created a more stable environment for her child by moving closer to Tucson and finding a good job that will support them. Maya and her child stay in touch with her parents cautiously, hoping they will soon choose treatment.

We Can Help Minimize Treatment Costs

If you have PTSD or CPTSD symptoms, we can help you chart a new course on your parenting journey. Our admissions team can review available insurance benefits and estimated out-of-pocket costs; final costs depend on plan terms, authorization, services, and claim processing.

We work with most major insurance carriers as well as limited forms of AHCCCS. If understanding what your insurance covers is confusing, call our admissions representative.

We’d love to help you and will call your program administrator for you. We will explain to them why it’s important that you attend a professional recovery center to deal with your mental health concerns.

Grab your insurance card and call us today. We’re always ready to assist you, whether you will file an insurance claim or whether you’ll be a self-pay client.

Getting Effective PTSD Treatment for Healing at Catalina

Catalina is here to support you as soon as you feel ready for professional recovery. Our clinical team will address your specific PTSD recovery needs in a safe and supportive environment.

With our treatment programs’ support, you can say goodbye to the painful symptoms of parental PTSD and forge stronger bonds than ever with a child of any age.

It’s never too late to get help – connect with Catalina to start the healing process immediately