Harris - Walz, page-1847

“People with controlling personalities may experience more severe symptoms and difficulties after trauma, particularly in relation to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here's an overview of the relationship:

## Controlling Personalities and PTSD

**Increased Vulnerability**
Individuals with controlling tendencies may be more susceptible to developing PTSD after trauma[1]. Their need for control can be severely disrupted by traumatic events, leading to heightened distress.

**Exacerbated Symptoms**
PTSD symptoms may be more pronounced in those with controlling personalities:

- Hypervigilance and arousal are often intensified[4]
- Efforts to regulate emotions and thoughts can be more demanding[4]
- Anger and irritability may be more frequent and intense[5]

**Coping Challenges**
Controlling individuals may struggle more with:

- Accepting the uncontrollable nature of trauma
- Adapting flexible coping strategies
- Relinquishing control in therapy settings

## Impact on Recovery

**Self-Control Demands**
The experience of PTSD symptoms can place significant demands on self-control, potentially leading to:

- Increased conduct problems[4]
- Difficulties with emotional regulation
- Heightened risk of substance abuse

**Personality Factors**
Certain personality traits associated with controlling tendencies may influence PTSD outcomes:

- High harm avoidance predicts more severe PTSD symptoms[2]
- Low self-directedness is linked to worse quality of life in PTSD[2]

While controlling personalities may face additional challenges in PTSD recovery, targeted interventions addressing control issues and promoting adaptive coping can help improve outcomes for these individuals.

Sources
[1] How Chronic Trauma Can Make a Person Controlling https://www.psychologytoday.com/int...ow-chronic-trauma-can-make-person-controlling
[2] The role of personality in posttraumatic stress disorder, trait ... - NCBI https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6663027/
[3] Perfectionism and Perceived Control in Posttraumatic Stress ... https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-020-00315-y
[4] PTSD and Conduct Problems: The Role of Self-control Demands https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10828901/
[5] Anger and Trauma - National Center for PTSD https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/related/anger.asp