Complex PTSD

I am learning so much about so much this last year concerning my Plethora of health issues. One is CPTSD

Is there anyone here who has some knowledge to share about this particular kind of PTSD

[Nathalie99 Partner]

Hi Rainbows4Life,

Welcome to the community.

We have a topic 'C-PTSD' in our list of topics so you can read through others experiences about this here:

healthunlocked.com/healmypt...

List of topics is on the right hand side in Posts tab (or at the bottom of the page if you are using mobile devices).

I have complex PTSD.

Reading on the subject has significantly helped me understand and put things in context and I was able to find the right therapist which made a big difference.

Sending support and hope...

[Marnie22 Volunteer]

*Trigger warning*

Hi. I am currently learning as much as I can about Complex PTSD.

My situation is that I suffered a brain injury four and a half years ago that changed my life completely. About two years after the injury I got to see a neuropsychologist who diagnosed me with PTSD in connection with the circumstances around the brain injury - I sustained the injury in hospital.

After months of waiting, I got to see a wonderful psychologist for EMDR treatment. This course of treatment is still to be completed as it was interrupted by the coronavirus lockdown. The EMDR has been amazingly effective and positive, but it also brought to light that I have Complex PTSD from childhood experiences. My psychologist has recommended that I read 'The Body Keeps The Score,' by Bessel Van Der Kolk. I am trying to do this, but reading is incredibly difficult for me since my brain injury, so it is very slow going.

I have been researching different therapy options for Complex PTSD.

One very positive thing is that I can now see where the difficulties in my life stem from and why they have affected me in the way that they have. Three years ago this week, I was staying in a suicide respite centre. The wonderful people there changed my life. They were the first people ever to show me how the problems I have been dealing with since childhood were directly linked to my experiences as a child. This was such a revelation to me.

I am not sure what you want to find out, but if I can be of any help, please ask.

Take care. 🙂🌸

[Hidden in reply to Marnie22]

Thank you for sharing

I am hoping to connect with others who understand the difference and also can relate to The complex part. For me the abuse and trauma started in the womb. After I was born trauma after trauma began to pile up well into my young adult years. Then it was covert abuse that continued to add to the mess that was already me. I cant recall EVER wanting to be alive and as far back as my mind will allow me to go I thought things like I wish I was not here, or I wish I would disappear. Truth be told most my life I thought there is no way anyone would believe all I had been through.

[Marnie22 Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Hi. Thank you for your reply to my post.

I am so sorry to hear what an awful set of experiences you have been through and how badly they have affected you.

I know that the recognition and understanding of Complex PTSD is to some degree in its early stages with regards to many medical professionals and the general public. I think that is one reason why this community is so important. I spent so many years thinking that everything was my fault and that I was just a weak person, so connecting with other people who have something in common with me has been very good. I still find it difficult to believe that for so long I didn't have a clue what was really going on with me. When my psychologist explained to me that my childhood experiences were not normal and that they had actually affected me severely, I almost couldn't believe it.

I hope you find this community helpful and supportive.

All the best. 🙂🌸

[Xandria11 in reply to Marnie22]

Hi Marnie, the book the body keeps the score is a little hard to read, I found the audio version much easier. Can literally go on you tube & find all sections for free, was so much easier for me.

[Marnie22 Volunteer in reply to Xandria11]

Thank you. 🙂🌸

[wallflower_fairy Major Contributor]

Hi Rainbows4Life 🌈

Welcome 😊 You've come to the right place and you're definitely not alone.

I read somewhere that C-PTSD is actually more common than straight forward PTSD (the rigid definition from a one off trauma). I'm guessing because, sadly, trauma may lead to further trauma and also because of what the trauma may mean to us based on our background.

I copied part of a reply I wrote to someone else giving an overview of what I most commonly experience symptom wise which you might find helpful and relateable as what I experience was corroborated with my research on C-PTSD and how people experience it.

I use the term PTSD in this reply because I often use them interchangeably as they overlap, with C-PTSD being an add on.

Flashbacks are quite common in PTSD, but they aren't as clear cut as people commonly believe, so people may not be able to recognise they're experiencing a flashback based on the rigid understanding of what they perceive a flashback to be, which is frequently understood as having to relive the whole traumatic event, as if it's happening again.

Of course, reliving the whole event can and does happen, but people can also experience partial flashbacks, such as re-experiencing the emotions around the trauma (emotional flashbacks), or the physical sensations associated with it (body memories or somatic flashbacks). I get a lot of emotional flashbacks although, with therapy, it's getting easier.

It's possible to get emotional flashbacks and not recognise them for what they are. There may be a trigger in our environment that we're not even aware of, so strong emotions may seem to come out of nowhere, which can be scary if we don't understand why or what's happening.

It's common for people with PTSD to be in a frequent state of arousal and hypervigilance, continually on the look out for threat or danger, because the person's mind hasn't processed the trauma and established, at a deeper level, that they're safe now. This can take the form of fight, flight, or freeze. It can be very exhausting to live with and can interfere with nuanced, higher order functioning. It can make managing life stress very difficult because the little bit of adrenaline we need to nudge us to deal with anything stressful is already ramped up too high, and not sustainable to experience over a long period of time.

When the mind is overwhelmed and no longer able to cope, it's common for it go into a state of dissociation. This can take the form feeling like one's surroundings aren't real (derealization), feeling like we aren't real (depersonalization), to a more general state of dissociation of just feeling detached and not present, zoning out, or going passive. I tend to experience quite a lot of general dissociation.

I hope you find this helpful and I wish you all the best in your recovery 🌼 xx

[Hidden in reply to wallflower_fairy]

THANK YOU!

[Pfighter]

Hey Rainbows4Life,

I too have C-PTSD. I recently came across this (see link below) that really put into perspective in laymen's terms how C-PTSD is caused. For whatever reason, it helped me at least to understand how this happened. Thought maybe it will help you as well.

qr.ae/pNAPRF

[Hidden in reply to Pfighter]

Thank you!

[Hidden in reply to Pfighter]

Thank you

[designguy]

Hello Rainbows, I was raised in a strict religious environment and bullied as a teen. I consequently developed social anxiety disorder. A number of years ago I was diagnosed with C-PTSD. I tried numerous types of therapies but what helped me start to recover was reading Pete Walkers book "Complex PTSD From Surviving to Thriving" and working with a therapist who specializes in treating trauma and utilized EMDR therapy. I have also found "The Work" by Byron Katie to be very helpful in that most of us with C-PTSD have distorted thinking. Learning all about C-PTSD, understanding why and how you developed it and getting the appropriate treatment are keys to recovery. As one of my therapists said, "it's never too late to have a happy childhood".

[Hidden in reply to designguy]

Thank you so much for sharing I am so grateful