A lot of people have heard of post traumatic stress disorder. They have a vague understanding of how PTSD affects an individual, but complex PTSD often flies under the radar. This is despite it being something that a lot of people suffer with. The lack of knowledge surrounding complex PTSD and the symptoms of complex PTSD probably stems from the fact that it’s a relatively new term.
Though professionals have recognised that trauma can have a long term impact on someone, there has been a lot of disagreement over whether or not complex PTSD is a separate condition, or whether it’s simply a part of the post traumatic stress disorder that many people are familiar with. So, what is complex PTSD and how does it differ from other types of PTSD?
There are a lot of traumatic events that can cause complex PTSD. This includes childhood abuse or neglect, ongoing domestic violence or abuse, repeatedly witnessing violence or abuse, torture, slavery or kidnapping. Though these traumatic events don’t always lead to complex PTSD, they do make you more likely to face the struggles of complex PTSD later in life. You are more likely to develop complex PTSD if you experienced the trauma at a young age, if the trauma lasted for a long time or if you have experienced multiple traumas.
There are a variety of symptoms that are commonly seen amongst those with complex PTSD, ranging from difficulties having relationships to feeling as though no one understands what you have been through. Others include flashbacks and emotional dysregulation, which are detailed below.
Though PTSD and complex PTSD are similar, and they share similar symptoms, there is one key difference between the two. Whereas PTSD typically arises after a single traumatic episode – such as a car accident, sexual assault or hurricane – complex PTSD is related to multiple traumatic events. This could be one traumatic event over a prolonged period of time or a series of different events.
Events such as a traumatic birth, assault, fire or burglary can cause PTSD. However, complex PTSD occurs because of repeated, sustained or multiple events. This includes bullying, physical abuse, childhood neglect, domestic violence and human trafficking. Though complex PTSD can happen to anyone, it’s more likely to happen if experienced trauma during childhood, or if the trauma was caused by a trusted figure. Conversely, PTSD can happen to anyone and at any stage of life.
Complex PTSD is a huge challenge and it’s hard to overcome, but help is out there. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling with any form of post traumatic stress disorder.
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