Finding Hope and Healing Through Faith: A Blog for Christians with PTSD and CPTSD

Welcome to Sunday on PTSD Flight to Freedom. This day is dedicated to exploring faith and healing, a journey many of us with PTSD and CPTSD understand deeply. It’s also a day when I hope to have other voices contribute—those more biblically educated than myself—but for now, you’re stuck with me! Unlike a Pastor or Priest, I might ramble a bit. But what I can offer is honesty—honesty about living as a Christian with CPTSD.

Before I dive in, I’m taking a second to ask God to guide my hand as I write. Okay, let’s begin.

God’s Nearness to the Brokenhearted

Psalm 34:18 tells us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

That phrase “crushed in spirit”—it resonates with me. For many of us with CPTSD, the idea of being brokenhearted doesn’t just refer to a singular loss or trauma. It’s something that has shaped our very sense of self since childhood. When people talk about healing, there’s this underlying assumption that you’re returning to a place where things were once good. But for some of us, there never was a ‘good’ to return to. There is no past experience of wholeness to fall back on, no idyllic childhood to remember.

And yet, in the midst of this, God calls us to hope—hope that something better is not only possible but promised. That, in itself, feels like a miracle. Because if you’ve lived through the complexities of CPTSD, getting better often feels more like a pipe dream than a memory of something lost.

Healing Takes Time—And A Lot of It

People say that wounds of the heart take time to heal. And they do, but we have to redefine what healing looks like for us. For those of us with CPTSD, we often don’t have a clear vision of what “healed” means because we never experienced that wholeness in the first place. The healing process isn’t about restoring some perfect past but rather building something we’ve never had—a sense of safety, trust, and love.

What complicates this further is that we tend to gravitate toward people who feel familiar, even if they perpetuate the very cycles of pain we are trying to escape. Until we understand our patterns—why we people-please, why we ignore our own needs—we end up in relationships that reinforce the belief that people can’t be trusted, that they will always choose themselves over us.

This is especially true for the “People Pleasers.” We’re often told that we have “no self-esteem,” but really, self-esteem can feel like a luxury when you’re in survival mode. In those moments, it’s not about self-worth; it’s about making sure the environment around us is safe, even if that means putting everyone else’s needs above our own.

When Survival Skills Become Obstacles

Our coping mechanisms, the very things that once kept us safe, can turn into barriers to our growth. The hyper-vigilance, the ability to read people like an FBI profiler—it all comes from a place of survival. Personally, I used to take pride in the fact that I could remain calm in chaotic situations, that I didn’t lose my temper, that I was more in control than those around me. It felt like a superpower.

But here’s the catch: what once saved me now limits me. I stayed in toxic relationships for far too long, thinking I could help or fix others. I thought I was easing their suffering, when in reality, I was reinforcing my own belief that I was somehow better at handling chaos. I didn’t lack self-esteem; I had too much pride in my ability to endure suffering.

As Christians, we believe God can heal all wounds, but that doesn’t mean the journey is quick or easy. Healing takes time, therapy, education, and community—alongside prayer and faith. There is no shame in seeking professional help as part of the healing process. God gave us the tools of therapy and counseling for a reason, and we should use them without guilt.

Seeking Knowledge and Wisdom: A Path to Healing

In my own journey, I’ve found great comfort in the books of Psalms and Proverbs. Psalms give voice to the full spectrum of human emotions—joy, despair, anger, hope. But Proverbs? That’s where I find my grounding. Proverbs 15:14 tells us, “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.” And Proverbs 16:16 reminds us that “It is better to get wisdom than gold; to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”

Seeking knowledge has been my salvation, not just spiritual knowledge but also knowledge about my condition, my patterns, and my healing. Therapy, self-reflection, and even deep conversations with fellow believers have opened doors to healing that I never thought possible.

Conclusion: God Walks with Us on This Journey

The road to healing is long, and it’s not a straight line. Some days, you might feel like you’re back at square one. But remember this: God walks with us through every step of this journey. He is near to the brokenhearted, and He saves those who are crushed in spirit. He doesn’t just offer a return to the past—He offers a future that is brand new, a future where healing is not just possible but promised.

So, if you’re struggling today, take heart. Your wounds may be deep, but so is God’s love. And in that love, there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. Keep seeking, keep praying, and keep learning. God’s got this—even when we feel like we don’t.