CPTSD DIAGNOSTIC MAP

Organized by: Limbic Hijack • Attachment System • Nervous System State • Repair Steps

Plain-language, therapeutic framing

1. LIMBIC HIJACK MAP

What happens when the survival brain takes over before the thinking brain can respond.

These patterns are not personality flaws — they are automatic nervous system responses shaped by trauma, unpredictability, or chronic emotional instability.

Pattern	What’s Happening Neurobiologically
Future Faking	The brain uses idealized future scenarios to reduce anxiety and avoid the discomfort of uncertainty. Dopamine escape strategy.
Gifts With Strings	Giving becomes a way to secure connection or prevent abandonment. Oxytocin bonding used for control.
Apology Loops	Shame activation triggers rapid, circular apologies intended to stop conflict, not to repair it.
Crying While Dysregulated	Emotional flooding causes autonomic overwhelm; tears emerge without reflective awareness.
Overload → Withdrawal → Flooding	Autonomic cycling between sympathetic overload and parasympathetic collapse, followed by emotional overflow.
Love-Bomb → Cold → Sweet	Unstable regulation leads to intense connection, sudden deactivation, then attempts to reconnect.
Rapid Cycling	Difficulty shifting between emotional states due to impaired affect regulation.
Victim Reversal	The brain protects against shame by flipping roles when threatened.
Projection	Disowned emotions or behaviors are attributed to the partner to reduce internal distress.
Punitive Silence	Freeze-based shutdown that may appear intentional but is often an involuntary distancing response.
Panic Attachments	Attachment system hyperactivates; urgent bonding attempts soothe internal threat.
Guilt-Trip Apologies	Emotional collapse leads to apologies that seek comfort instead of accountability.
Abandonment Threats	Fight-or-flight triggers “leave / be left” impulses to regain a sense of control.

2. ATTACHMENT SYSTEM MAP

CPTSD often creates mixed or unstable attachment patterns. These patterns are not intentional manipulation — they are protective strategies learned in unsafe environments.

ANXIOUS ATTACHMENT PATTERNS

Common reactions when connection feels unstable.

Seeking reassurance repeatedly
Overanalyzing messages or tone
Emotional overwhelm during conflict
Clinging or panic bonding
Difficulty tolerating ambiguity
Apology loops
Fear-driven fantasy about the future

Core fear: being abandoned
Internal belief: “I won’t be okay if you pull away.”

AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT PATTERNS

Common reactions when closeness feels overwhelming.

Minimal responses
Delayed communication
Emotional shutdown
Needing space without warning
Responding defensively to needs
Viewing conflict as engulfment

Core fear: being controlled or invaded
Internal belief: “If I get too close, I’ll lose myself.”

DISORGANIZED ATTACHMENT PATTERNS

When the brain sends mixed signals: “Come closer” and “Go away.”

Rapid emotional shifts
Sudden anger followed by sudden affection
Difficulty resolving conflict without escalation
Switching between clinging and distancing
Feeling unsafe during both closeness and separation

Core fear: both rejection and intimacy
Internal belief: “Connection is dangerous and necessary.”

3. NERVOUS SYSTEM STATE MAP

Fight • Flight • Freeze • Fawn

These states are automatic physiological responses.
They explain why people act in ways they later regret.

FIGHT — Sympathetic Mobilization

Signals: irritation, defensiveness, anger, confrontation
Behaviors:

Blame-shifting
Verbal attacks
Emotional intensity
Boundary pushing
“You made me feel this way” statements

Purpose: regain control when threatened.

FLIGHT — Sympathetic Escape

Signals: anxiety, restlessness, overwhelm
Behaviors:

Pulling away
Avoiding messages
Distancing
Leaving the room mid-conflict
Threatening to end the relationship

Purpose: escape perceived relational danger.

FREEZE — Parasympathetic Shutdown

Signals: numbness, blankness, confusion
Behaviors:

Going silent
Delayed responses
Emotional inaccessibility
Collapsing into shutdown
Being unable to articulate thoughts

Purpose: conserve energy when threat feels inescapable.

FAWN — Appease Response

Signals: guilt, over-accommodation, people-pleasing
Behaviors:

Over-apologizing
Giving to avoid conflict
Suppressing needs
Disagreeing with self to keep peace
Taking responsibility for others’ emotions

Purpose: restore safety through compliance.

4. REPAIR STEPS (CLINICAL PROTOCOL)

How to restore safety, connection, and regulation.

These steps work individually, in couples work, or within crisis moments.

A. LIMBIC REGULATION TOOLS

Goal: calm the survival brain so the reasoning brain can function.

90-second amygdala reset (slow exhale emphasis)
Box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing
Sensory grounding (temperature, texture, sound)
“Pause and return” boundaries:
“I need 20 minutes to regulate. I will come back.”
No problem-solving during emotional flooding

B. ATTACHMENT REPAIR

For Anxious Activation

Validate fear without reinforcing it
Use predictable, consistent communication
Offer shorter, clearer check-ins
Establish structured times for deeper conversations
Encourage self-soothing between interactions

For Avoidant Activation

Keep communication brief and emotionally safe
Reduce intensity, increase clarity
Offer space with connection, not space as separation
Reinforce needs as valid, not burdensome
Avoid cornering or demanding immediate discussion

For Disorganized Activation

Use predictable routines
Slow conflict down
Avoid all-or-nothing language
Debrief after escalations without blame
Re-establish safety before discussing content
Create rituals for repair

C. NERVOUS SYSTEM REPAIR

Fight → Calm

De-escalation phrases
Physical movement to release activation
Lower volume/tone
Ownership statements

Flight → Re-engage

Gentle, non-pressuring communication
Warm tone
Invitations instead of demands
Predictable time frames for reconnection

Freeze → Thaw

Help person orient to the environment
Use gentle sensory input
Avoid urgent questioning
Validate that shutdown is involuntary

Fawn → Recenter

Practice clear boundaries
Encourage identification of personal needs
Support self-worth and autonomy
Discourage apology-based bonding

D. RELATIONSHIP REPAIR (4-Step Protocol)

A clinical, repeatable method for repairing ruptures.

1. Identify the Pattern

“I notice we’re in a fight/flight/freeze/fawn loop.”

2. Identify the Emotional State

“My nervous system feels activated.”

3. Identify the Need

“I need regulation / clarity / space / connection.”

4. Identify the Plan

“Let’s pause and reconnect at ___.”

This reduces escalation, shame, and misinterpretation.