Living with C-PTSD and How Trauma-Informed Therapy Can Help.

Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, otherwise known as C-PTSD, is a mental health condition caused by prolonged exposure to trauma. It differs from PTSD in that it requires an individual to have experienced compounded, chronic, trauma. 

C-PTSD Misdiagnosis And Symptoms 

Before getting a C-PTSD diagnosis, many clients I work with have cycled through the mental health system being labeled with Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, or ADHD. C-PTSD can mimic many of the symptoms of these disorders as symptoms of C-PTSD include: 

• Flashbacks to traumatic events 

• Difficulty maintaining relationships 

• Trouble regulating emotions 

• Hypervigilance (Always being aware and attentive to danger)

• Trouble focusing 

• Feelings of guilt or shame 

• Suicidal thoughts 

• Self Injurious behavior

• A negative sense of self or feeling that you are permanently damaged

• Avoidance of places, people, or things related to the trauma 

• Headaches

• Stomach aches 

• Chronic exhaustion 

When clinicians fail to take into account the impact of prolonged trauma on the mental health of the client, C-PTSD can often be missed or misdiagnosed because of the overlap these symptoms have with other disorders. This misdiagnosis can often leave clients feeling stuck in therapy, not seeing the changes that they wish for themselves come to fruition. 

Treating C-PTSD In Therapy 

In my experience, C-PTSD often requires a long term therapeutic relationship. This relationship is key to the healing of the client because it allows for an attachment to be built that is safe and secure– something trauma often has disrupted for the client. Over time, the strength of the relationship with the therapist will allow the client to process traumatic experiences, explore present impacts, and practice in real time how to show up differently in their relationships. 

Working with C-PTSD requires a therapist who is in tune with the impacts of chronic trauma, understands how to approach care from a trauma-informed lens, and is willing to take it slow with the client at a pace that feels safe. This is exactly what therapy with me looks like. I work with many C-PTSD survivors through relational and psychodynamic therapy to manage symptoms, process experiences, and find new meaning and growth in their lives. We do this by using the therapeutic relationship as an example that you can maintain an important relationship, find emotional depth, feel safe in relationships, and be vulnerable again in ways that feel secure, not scary. 

I know that entering therapy with a chronic trauma history can feel daunting. There is often a lot the client may feel they have to explain. That is why it is so important to me that we go at the client’s pace. Moving together intentionally and slowly at the speed the client sets. This doesn't mean I won’t push you to look at challenging parts of your story. The hard work of therapy will still be there– just in a way that allows for safety to be prioritized. 

If you resonate with the idea or symptoms of C-PTSD, live in New York, and are curious if they might apply to you, I would invite you to reach out so we can see what exploring these questions might bring up for you. We can ask questions together, seek answers together, and find healing together in the short and long term. 

Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and does not substitute a formal diagnosis from a licensed provider.