CPTSD and the 4F Strategies: From Survival to Recovering Resilience

This article explores the nature of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) through the lens of the 4Fs: fight, flight, freeze, and cajolery. Drawing on the work of Pete Walker, the author explains that these responses are not fixed personality traits but learned defense mechanisms that have become dominant during the course of trauma. The text offers specific tools for regaining psychological flexibility, such as the 13-step technique for coping with flashbacks, sensory grounding, and methods for working with the nervous system. Readers will learn how to recognize the influence of the inner critic and utilize co-regulation in the healing process. Advanced therapeutic models, including EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and the Internal Family System (IFS), which support the integration of traumatic experiences, are also presented.