CPTSD vs PTSD - How are they Different?

What is complex PTSD or cPTSD and how is it different from PTSD? How do we treat these problems? Think of PTSD as an emotional reaction to a traumatic situation. Complex PTSD is not an official diagnosis in our diagnostic manual. Instead it’s a term used to describe a different kind of experience that a person has from chronic traumatic experiences that occur over time. It's usually trauma that starts in childhood. This could be either physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect. Because the neglect or abuse is occurring during the extremely vulnerable developmental years, the trauma shapes your development and your personality.

Here is the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, taken from the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. This is for information purposes and not meant to help you self-diagnose. If you suspect you may have PTSD, you should see a professional for an assessment.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The following criteria apply to adults, adolescents, and children older than 6 years.
A Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in one (or more) of the following ways:
1 Directly experiencing the traumatic event(s).
2 Witnessing, in person, the event(s) as it occurred to others.
3 Learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend. In cases of actual or threatened death of a family member or friend, the event(s) must have been violent or accidental.
4 Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s) (e.g., first responders collecting human remains; police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse).
B Presence of one (or more) of the following intrusion symptoms associated with the traumatic event(s), beginning after the traumatic event(s) occurred:
1. Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive distressing memories of the traumatic event(s).
2. Recurrent distressing dreams in which the content and/or affect of the dream are related to the traumatic event(s).
3. Dissociative reactions (e.g., flashbacks) in which the individual feels or acts as if the traumatic event(s) were recurring.
4. Intense or prolonged psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s).
5. Marked physiological reactions to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s).
C Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the traumatic event(s), beginning after the traumatic event(s) occurred, as evidenced by one or both of the following:
1 Avoidance of or efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely associated with the traumatic event(s).
2 Avoidance of or efforts to avoid external reminders (people, places, conversations, activities, objects, situations) that arouse distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely associated with the traumatic event(s).
D Negative alterations in cognitions and mood associated with the traumatic event(s), beginning or worsening after the traumatic event(s) occurred, as evidenced by two (or more) of the following:
1 Inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event(s) (typically due to dissociative amnesia and not to other factors such as head injury, alcohol, or drugs).
2 Persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs or expectations about oneself, others, or the world (e.g., “I am bad,” “No one can be trusted,” “The world is completely dangerous,” “My whole nervous system is permanently ruined”).
3 Persistent, distorted cognitions about the cause or consequences of the traumatic event(s) that lead the individual to blame himself/herself or others.
4 Persistent negative emotional state (e.g., fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame).
5 Markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities.
6 Feelings of detachment or estrangement from others.
7 Persistent inability to experience positive emotions (e.g., inability to experience happiness, satisfaction, or loving feelings).
E Marked alterations in arousal and reactivity associated with the traumatic event(s), beginning or worsening after the traumatic event(s) occurred, as evidenced by two (or more) of the following:
1 Irritable behavior and angry outbursts (with little or no provocation) typically expressed as verbal or physical aggression toward people or objects.
2 Reckless or self-destructive behavior.
3 Hypervigilance.
4 Exaggerated startle response.
5 Problems with concentration.
6 Sleep disturbance (e.g., difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless sleep).
F Duration of the disturbance (Criteria B, C, D, and E) is more than 1 month.
G The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
H The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., medication, alcohol) or another medical condition.

[Progressive_Alien]

Consistent exposure to emotional/Psychological abuse can also cause C-PTSD/ PTSD. Not just physical/sexual abuse.

[Touay.]

The tragedy, at least for me, is that the damage of cPTSD is your 'normal'. I am 50 and just learned that it isn't normal to have never felt happy, I didn't realise that it is possible to 'feel' that someone is happy to see you.
Heartbroken doesn't begin to describe how I feel about that my childhood has stolen from me.

[Linda]

Narcissist Abuse will cause CPTSD.
Shut it down, this includes family.
No where is it written to honor abusers.

[matthewdhewlett]

No food in the fridge for an after-school snack, but mom and dad never seem to run out of wine, whiskey, pot, and cigarettes.

[dawnmerritt]

I have CPTSD not from childhood experiences, but from 20+ years of narcissistic abuse in my marriage. Not all repeated traumas are childhood related. I was only 19 when that relationship began, and was 43 when I finally left the relationship. It fundamentally changes a person to live through that for so long. By the time I left, I didn't know who I was on my own, only what was expected of me to not incur the wrath of the narc-in-charge. It's been 2 1/2 years since I left, and I am still recognizing behavior responses and decision making processes that are conditioned from having been in that abuse cycle for so long.

[tamarafaurot]

I’m 62 and still haven’t gotten past the trauma. Totally fractured.

[Tummyachesurvior]

I have PTSD because of being bullied by my peers from age 4 to age 18. It was all emotional and mental abuse but it was daily. I don’t remember a lot of my childhood because of it.

[LittleLulubee]

I have all four of the PTSD symptoms. Along with some of the other CPTSD symptoms, like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, etc. But I didn't get them from one traumatic event. I got them from growing up in an abusive family.

[ravenblue]

I have lived 26 years and the thing I identify with more than anything I ever have, is cptsd. It has taken my life from me in so many ways. Thank you for speaking about it.

[shinybee]

Just in case it helps anyone else, a big step in recovery for me was learning that severe mental illness symptoms can also cause trauma. As a young child I had very frightening intrusive thoughts, hallucinations, and delusions, and because I had no reliable way to reality-check these, they represented to me a credible threat to my life/safety. These were normal to me and I dismissed their impact for a long time; I did not realize until this year, as an adult, that these were traumatic experiences and contributed to my c-ptsd.

[alexisblack]

I have CPSD. EMDR helped tremendously. I needed 30 sessions. It changed my brain and my life.

[wingsavenue]

this is so triggering that when she talks about cptsd I have a hard time following and have intrusive thoughts and have to go back a lot of times.

[sassykat]

I'm very VERY surprised you didn't mention Domestic Violence in regards to C-PTSD.
I feel it was a big miss. A lot of people need information about what their experiencing and they are/were traumatized repeatedly as ADULTS not children. And the repeated trauma is from an abusive relationship.

[kimbercreed]

Just finished 9 months of EMDR for cPTSD, along with medications It is the first time in my life, well I really don't have the right words ... I never thought my life could be like this.

[AirFire]

WIth my PTSD, i was told that i must control my eye movement. When my eyes move back and forth (like when I’m on the bus ...looking outside the window)... my mind gets hyper and I start reliving my trauma. I actually have healed A LOT by controlling my eye movement and putting my eyes on something and thinking of the name and colour. Blue jacket, purple shoes, tall seat, tiny dog... etc. I get an noun+ adjective or verb and ground myself this way. Honestly, if this can help someone. I’m here to share. I managed to get better ...so it is possible. It may always be a part of me...but after 4 years of practice...the pain from the memories is less and i relieve those traumatic thoughts MUCH LESS.

[robertc.]

I was assaulted by a female family member when I was 12. Even with my meds I still have nightmares, I just don't wake up screaming and throwing punches. My relationships suffer cause I just can't bring myself to trust anyone. I avoid socializing just so I don't have the possibility of my trust being used against me again. There no actual point to this post other than its been stuck in my head for years and I just need to vent. Thanks!! Dr. Marks for the video's and a place to vent.

[jnf]

6:44 - 7:30 differenciation of CPTSD from PTSD
8:03 how to heal
8:17 medication: if necessary, see it as an aid to get calm enough to work through the trauma
8:33 EMDR : A very affective therapy form

[neverbeforeseenvideos]

Thank you so much.
I’m 40 years young and now I’m realizing, after journaling my childhood,
I am so fucked beyond measure.
I scored a 7 on the ACE survey.
I’ve had 16 traumatic event between age 8 to 16. From being raped to surviving a horrific bus accident but I walked out without a scratch or bruise ( lucky I was, but why me had been haunting me all these years. )
To being robbed at gun point at age 10, 16 and 25, to parents divorcing when I was 15 and the list goes on.
Have I thought of suicide, of course and I still do.

I fell as though I’m in the car but I’m not driving it, I’m in the back seat.

Jesus help me.

And only now I’m becoming aware of all the events.

I’m getting help though.
I’m lucky to be alive to this day.

[ladybaabaa]

I have CPTSD. Childhood issues from age 4 until 14, and by age 8 I was embarrassed to show any negative emotions apart from mild annoyance, as showing them made no difference and I unconsciously began to feel like I didn't deserve to have them acknowledged, accommodated or cared for.

When I was 15, I met who would turn out to be my best friend and first romantic / intimate partner. The friendship and subsequent relationship was quite explosive, not due to her, but due to me. I was extremely unstable, explosive, engaged in self harm and reckless behaviour, and was terribly verbally abusive, only to her. I only showed all those negative emotions I had in my head to her. Everyone else never saw - too embarrassing.

So later I was diagnosed with BPD, severe GAD, PDD, OCD and NPD. The anxiety was first, from age 4. Then the CPTSD began to set in. Then the OCD followed many years later by the PDD, and I honestly don't really know when the NPD arrived. I don't really care.

Anyway...I feel like my CPTSD occurred again from a new source of trauma between the age of 17 and 22. I lost both my beloved cats, all my grandparents, was sexually molested, and moved house for the first time ever during those years and again, hid all my grief. I did not adjust well to anything, though on the outside I was strong.

Again, from 2012 to 2013 I experienced a third PTSD-induced trauma which caused me to go from 135lbs down to 92lbs in a month from barely eating. The trauma situation reoccurred several times over the following 7 years, though not to the same extent. Each time I became more hyper sensitised, could not eat and could not cope. I started getting panic attacks a lot.

The last trauma that has left me with another source of PTSD occurred from 2016 to 2018. A loved one's chronic illness. Relentless terror of losing them. Endless researching and trying to gain control over their health. Only feeling safe when they were sleeping in my arms. It worsened dramatically from mid 2017 to early 2018, when the worst happened and I lost him. I can't remember anything at all of the week or so after. Literally not a thing. I still cry every single day.

I am not ok.

[ggstylz]

Having grown up in a dysfunctional household, CPTSD has probably been with me since the beginning. Emotional abuse, neglect, as well as separation anxiety. I’m pretty sure, notwithstanding genetic predisposition, this would definitely have played a major role in developing OCD in my early twenties.