Intro [0:00]
Hello my dears! My name is Johanna, and I welcome you to the Johanna Draconis - The Deconstruction Of C-PTSD podcast.
In this episode we will talk about how it comes that dealing with PTSD is so much easier than C-PTSD. I usually use PTSD to include both, but there is a very significant difference in difficulty dealing with it and its quite a jump.
It is important to understand the difference and how to treat the different versions. As they require different approaches - which is likely why many struggle to remove C-PTSD from their life.
So let us talk about it.

Prelude [0:44]
I had thought about putting a trauma between the ball and the ring trauma, like small or big ball trauma, but they are basically the same just different severity. Still that leaves this extreme jump in difficulty and complexity. So to recap episode 52:
A ball trauma is usually a singular event with one major trauma core and maybe some side cores. Which are more like branches of a tree and not their own thing. This usually gives you PTSD.
A ring trauma is multiple trauma cores and semi trauma cores - which wouldn’t be enough to cause PTSD on their own, but since these different cores interact with each other they reinforce and strengthen each other. This usually gives you C-PTSD.
The difference has a lot of consequences. Most therapist can deal with PTSD, but C-PTSD is a lot harder. There is a good chance you even dealt with a small ball trauma without even ever noticing you had PTSD and resolved it yourself.
We first talk about this in an example, then how to deal with ball trauma and then with ring trauma.

An example of the difference [2:07]
We use a car accident as example. You drive, have an accident, you call for aid, aid arrives, you get transported to the hospital and then released. This is a ball trauma of relative minor size. It has a short start, big drama in the middle and quite a quick fiddling out.
This time you drive, have an accident, there is fire, there are other people hurt, you are unable to call for aid, you are stuck, aid arrives, they have trouble getting you out, you get transported to the hospital, have to stay there for a while and then get released.
And this is quite a ring trauma with the possibility of survivors guilt. The fire on its own would have been scary, but since you are stuck, can’t call for aid and other people are there, its worse. To use one of the factors as an example.
Characteristic for ring trauma is the reinforcing of the traumatic elements of each other. Therefor forming this ring. They don’t have to all be that or sometimes just some elements, for example the care is made worse by you having been stuck or the fire.
It makes the trauma exponentially worse and the treatment harder.

Explain how to deal with ball trauma (storm the castle) [3:34]
When we deal with a ball trauma it is relatively straight forward. Usually it starts with reinforcing your defenses, gather resources - like for example energy or low stress levels - and gathering information, for example where the trauma is and what it is about.
And then you work yourself from the outside to the inside. The ones that easily come to mind and are relatively small and then work yourself to the big ones. Follow the triggers to remove them, from easy to difficult if you can.
Both will lead you to the core - once you empathized and understood the core and therefor deal with it - that is when the aftercare happens. Which means you search for overlooked triggers and if the trauma took root.
If yes - it is important to remove these - to avoid the trauma to return. So basically, you pick them up one by one until there is nothing left.

Explain how to deal with ring trauma (attack form multiple sides) [4:42]
Now compared to that the ring trauma is so much more complex. Because you have to fight off multiple attackers at the same time. So your defenses have to be very good or any holes will be exploited very fast. Every step should be calculated.
The ring trauma is unlike the ball trauma quite punishing for mistakes. You can’t just hack until you eventually get there - you have to be strategic and understand at least roughly what is going on. So the most important step is to identify all the cores.
Usually they are things that have - even if its in greater extremity - traumatized other people. For our example that would be a house fire for the fire element of the accident. Because otherwise when you turn your back to one of the cores it will bite you in the butt.
Then you should try to understand the trauma elements. Why are they traumatic and which ripple effect did they have on your life?  Clear if you have to - that depends strongly how much time has passed since the traumatic event. Then find the least connected core.
But keep an eye on the others - which means keep engaging with them so they are not active. Which means having trimmed off enough that they don’t cause any significant symptoms. I strongly recommend not to engage with even an quite exposed core if all are active.
Like I said - it is significant harder. So if you would like to know more and more detail - please let me know. The more effective and precise you are - the faster you heal and cure yourself.

Outro [6:33]
That was it for todays episode, I hope you found it helpful. Hope you are safe and well. And as always, if you have any questions or feedback and the like, please let me know at contactme@johannadraconis.com.
More information and transcript you can find as usually under johannadraconis.com and links are in the description.
I hope to see you next time. Watch yourselves and have a wonderful time.