david.perlIve been reading a lot recently on trauma and PTSD. Ive noticed the term “complex PTSD” appear more and more. Apparently it was first coined by Judith Herman in her book Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence. Ive just finished it and can highly recommend it.
Complex PTSD is defined as:
Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a condition that results from chronic or long-term exposure to emotional trauma over which a victim has little or no control and from which there is little or no hope of escape, such as in cases of:
domestic emotional, physical or sexual abuse
childhood emotional, physical or sexual abuse
entrapment or kidnapping.
slavery or enforced labor.
long term imprisonment and torture
repeated violations of personal boundaries.
long-term objectification.
exposure to gaslighting & false accusations
long-term exposure to inconsistent, push-pull, splitting or alternating raging & hoovering behaviors.
long-term taking care of mentally ill or chronically sick family members.
long term exposure to crisis conditions.
I was struck by this quote elsewhere “obsessive/compulsive disorder, which is sometimes more accurately described as an excessive, fixated flight response to trauma”.
As we all know, limerence has a strong linkage to OCD. I am wondering if limerence is another way of having a fixated flight response to trauma? . Ive described limerence as the mother of all distractions. Distraction from what? For me, it was early life abuse and trans-generational trauma.
I wonder if us limerents have a higher than average amount of traumatic experiences in early life?
Hi,
Thanks for this post as the nature of limerence, especially connections with CPTSD are rarely covered.
As for me too, limerence seems to be flight response, but in its roots I would notice the need for dissociation, escaping to ideal fantasy with Limerent Object.
The OCD part can be caused by dopamine boost when fantasazing and our thirst to repeat the cycle to feel better.
Trauma connected with abandonment and neglecting cause us search unobtainable “objects” to re-live all again like a hopeless unconscious programme.