Most Common Signs of C-PTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Many of you have probably heard of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, but what about CPTSD? Complex PTSD, or CPTSD, has been a hot topic among mental health professionals because of its striking similarities to traditional PTSD and several other mental health diagnoses.

What is CPTSD? Complex PTSD can be described as a more severe and long-term condition that can occur after prolonged and repeated trauma, particularly in childhood. In this video, we will be talking about the signs of C-PTSD.

Disclaimer: Please do not use this video to self-diagnose. Our intent is to provide education and perspective on mental health topics.

#cptsd #complexptsd

Writer: Spicevicious
Script Editor: Isadora Ho
Script Manager: Kelly Soong
Voice Over: Amanda Silvera
Animator: Narakumi (new animator)
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

References:

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[jessieh]

C PTSD
1. Physical Symptoms
2. Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness
3. You feel isolated from others
4. Disruption in different parts of your life
5. Depression and anxiety
6. Overly suspicious of others
7. You appear unpredictable or emotional
8. You aren't much of a joiner
9. You always expect the worst
10. You have a hard time trusting others
11. You feel like no one understands you

[crazymadbadgirl]

What i hate most with it is not knowing anything anymore, when to eat or drink, what to eat or drink, what to watch on tv, whether i even want to do something or not. It’s exhausting just trying to make the smallest of decisions.

[TheShadowofevolution]

The biggest misconception by those who don't understand is the belief that PTSD is exclusively suffered by veterans. PTSD by definition is the result of ANY traumatic experience. Assault, neglect, or as is my case, witnessing death first hand, just to name a few.

[lollybirdy]

I suffer from very severe cptsd. I barely remember my life. And im so stressed that i just keep losing memories. C-ptsd is horrible to deal with. I've been told by my therapist that I have surprisingly good coping skills and that I could've turned out a lot worse.

[ives]

Food For Thought: There are wounds that never show on the body, but are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.

[rubbelkatz]

I feel its important to note that "Flashbacks", as they are portrayed in classical media, are most of the time not part of the CPTSD experience. The flashbacks are even strikingly dissimilar to PTSD, as it is often comprised of a fragmented experience. E.g. you suddenly start to smell something that isnt there, or you start to feel an emotion that is persistent but absolutely unrelated to the current situation. Patients often have problems identifying these experience as a flashback or even feel like being some sort of impostor because they think, they have no flashbacks or because their experience doesn't match the widespread symptom descriptions. It is important to note that - as with many things in life - symptoms can be a highly individual experience and should not be interpreted as invalidation.

As someone who is currently on a healing journey from CPTSD, I would have wished someone could have explained this to me sooner. The self doubt was devastating and detrimental to the healing process.

[kmtsu]

Hey Psych2Go! My name is Ace, as of today, you guys have brought me enough strength to go out and ask for help. It surely wasnt easy, but i managed. I appreciate you guys very much, and if i didnt watch or find your channel, i would be getting worse and worse. Thank you so much!

[hannah]

Literally could not be more well timed!

[airyevermore]

I’ve done tons of research on this and believe I might have it. I hate having to avoid things I love just because they’re linked to bad memories. I told some trusted people and they have been very understanding and that comforts me.

[shadinz]

Being a first responder, I've been diagnosed with multiple C-PTSDs, currently being treated for some of them. It's a rough road... but you eventually learn how to cope with it. Life ain't sunshine and rainbows, there is no cure from PTSDs, but with the right treatment and the right pills, you slowly learn to get back to normal.

So anyone there with it, there's always hope, but know that you'll live with these memories for the rest of your life anyway... there's no magic wand that makes you forget.

[ChickenGoogleSoup]

All these signs were relatable to me.

All my traumas are caused by events where I've been backstabbed or abandoned by people i thought were my friends, being emotionally abused by them, and even receiving personal threats against myself.

[GodHelpMe]

I want you to pause and thank yourself.
You’re still here, you’re fighting and you’re trying to cope.
You’re trying your best to resolve your trauma, so thank yourself for doing so.
Don’t be mean to yourself, you’re trying your best!
You’re extremely courageous and gorgeous and brave, never forget that!!!
I want you to be proud of yourself.

[liamgimenez]

As a person who suffers from CPTSD, it is dreadful to live with. Having flashbacks every day and barely able to function in life. I suffered a ton of emotional abuse and bullying growing up and it still hurts me to this day...

[Aan]

Timestamps
1). Physical symptoms 1:04
2). Feeling of worthlessness or hopelessness 1:27
3). You feel isolated from others 1:51
4). Disruption in different areas of your life 2:13
5). Depression and anxiety 2:38
6). You're overly suspicious of others 2:58
7). You appear unpredictable or emotional 3:19
8). You aren't much of a joiner 3:39
9). You always expect the worst 4:00
10). You have a hard time trusting others 4:19
11). You feel like no one understands you 4:45

Hope this helps you out. Hope you have a nice day. Sorry this is so late. 💙💙💙💙💙💙

[kryssysmith]

CPTSD honestly should have its own category in the DSM. For me, it's hard even to READ BOOKS because if I encounter anything that reminds me of my CPTSD, just having the visualizations is a nightmare.

[ivana]

you know its bad when even going to therapy sounds sketchy and distressing

[GhostOfMrPickles]

having c-ptsd means things can come from seemingly nowhere, causing panic attacks, overreactions or other behaviors that i'm slowly learning to deal with. decades of not knowing what was wrong was creating an even larger problem: wondering about my sanity. now that i have an idea of what's going on with me, i can work with it and recognize symptoms, and create strategies to work with it, along with medications that moderate my moods. it's much better now, but i still have a long way to go.

[talithmara]

As someone with cPTSD and several other disorders, I think cPTSD is the worst to deal with of every disorder I have.

About a year ago, for example, I was playing a game with some friends. One of our usuals couldn't make it, so a friend brought in one of their friends as a substitute. This person's callous harshness towards me (accusing me of doing things I didn't do, not listening to me trying to explain what I did instead, etc) made me spiral because of it's similarity to the childhood that left me with cPTSD in the first place. I had to leave that group's gaming sessions for literal MONTHS while this was being dealt with. MONTHS. All because ONE PERSON infiltrated the place I let myself be vulnerable and attacked me without fault of my own.

This is why I can't trust people. This is why I desperately cling to what I have. Because I feel like I'm not good enough to earn a place elsewhere. Because I've tried, and failed. Because my PTSD episodes flare up and cause me to be unavailable or at least volatile. Because I know to expect the worst, because it can and does happen simply since I'm so misunderstood. How can I fit in anywhere that doesn't understand me? Maybe if I was better, people would make the effort, but I'm not and they don't and I just don't belong anywhere. The invasive thoughts kick in minutes after waking up and ruin my whole day, and everyone always just thinks I'm overreacting.

And this doesn't even get into the overlap with my other disorders. And it's truly heartbreaking when people are just like "did you go to war? No? Then you don't have PTSD, shut up, the problem is that your parents didn't beat you enough!" I just want people like that to stop breathing. Let me suffer in silence without piling even more abuse on top. Freaking hell.

[brain_respect_and_freedom]

Supporting a friend with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) requires active listening, validation of their feelings, and respecting their boundaries. Patience is key as recovery is a journey, and self-care is crucial for both you and your friend. By practicing empathy and understanding, while also prioritizing your own well-being, you can provide meaningful support throughout their healing process.

[JosephBallard-fspy]

I've been dealing with C-PTSD symptoms my entire life. There's a bit of ADHD in there too. I've finally reached a point where I'm not in constant fight or flight mode anymore, which is definitely a good thing. Now I'm struggling with retraining and reconditioning myself. It's really hard to break some old habits. I've also been doing research into the connections between C-PTSD and other mental health issues such as Autism, ADHD, and a few others. Come to find out, the reason why they're so hard to diagnose is because they all affect the same regions of the brain 🧠. The research is still really new and they're making new discoveries all the time. It's really interesting and insightful if anyone is curious about it. Would definitely recommend looking into it