Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a stress-related mental disorder that typically occurs in response to complex traumas, such as prolonged or repetitive exposure to a series of traumatic events, in which individuals perceive few or no chances to escape. Some key points about CPTSD include:
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Causes: CPTSD can be caused by various recurring or long-term traumatic events, including childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, sexual abuse, torture, sex trafficking, slavery, and war. Factors that may increase the likelihood of developing CPTSD include experiencing trauma at a young age, being harmed by someone close to you whom you trusted, and being unable to escape the trauma.
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Symptoms: The symptoms of CPTSD are similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but may also include difficulty controlling emotions, feeling very angry or distrustful towards the world, feelings of worthlessness, shame, and guilt, problems with self-regulation, and finding it hard to feel connected with other people. Individuals with CPTSD may be particularly prone to experiencing "emotional flashbacks," in which they have intense feelings that they originally felt during the trauma, without realizing that they are having a flashback.
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Diagnosis: CPTSD is diagnosed when an individual meets the criteria for PTSD and also experiences symptoms of affect dysregulation, negative self-concept, and disturbed relationships. In the DSM-5, these symptoms are considered part of the PTSD criteria and do not warrant an additional diagnosis other than PTSD.
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Treatment: The main treatment for CPTSD is psychotherapy, specifically a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on the problems causing more functional impairment than the PTSD symptoms, such as emotional dysregulation, dissociation, and interpersonal problems. Six suggested core components of complex trauma treatment include safety, self-regulation, trauma processing, relational engagement, cognitive restructuring, and integration.
