There is a difference between PTSD and CPTSD.
PTSD is the result of an acute trauma. For example, this could be from a car accident, combat trauma, witnessing a death, being in a natural disaster, etc. Whereas, CPTSD is the result of repetitive and prolonged trauma, such as ongoing physical abuse, sexual abuse, and/or neglect (which is often experienced in childhood, but can also be part of domestic violence and abuse, exploitation, etc. in adulthood).
A person with CPTSD will have the symptoms of PTSD along with the following:
- Difficulty regulating emotions and experiencing persistent sadness, suicidal thoughts, and rage.
- Disassociation that pulls a person out of the moment, amnesia about the trauma, or obsessing about or reliving the trauma.
- Feeling different than other humans with persistent helplessness, stigma, shame, or guilt.
- Seeing the perpetrator in a distorted way, either giving them too much power or obsessing about revenge.
- Problems with mistrust, isolation, or searching for a “rescuer” when it comes to personal relationships.
- Despair, hopelessness, and lack of meaning in life.
- Tendency to self-harm or self-medicate.
Our office can help you with learning new habits, new ways of thinking and feeling, the ability to make better decisions, and to reduce or alleviate addictive tendencies. Please contact us today if you or a loved one is going through a hard time.
