Happiful November 2019

Living
with complex
post-traumatic
stress disorder
They are two similar conditions, but triggered
in different ways – and each comes with its own
range of symptoms. Here’s what you need to
know about CPTSD vs PTSD
Writing | Hattie Gladwell
Anxiety, racing
heart, nightmares,
and flashbacks
making you
relive the worst
moments of your life, over
and over again. Many of us are
familiar with the concept of posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD);
an anxiety condition which may
develop after being involved in,
or witnessing, traumatic events.
First identified in war veterans,
it can also be triggered by a wide
range of traumatic experiences.
But just knowing what PTSD is,
doesn’t convey the true, debilitating
reality for those experiencing it.
It’s trying to live your daily life,
not knowing when or what might
trigger those flashbacks. It’s feeling
on high alert, constantly on guard,
all the time. It’s the world moving
on around you, and trying to move
with it, only to be snapped back
and trapped reliving your darkest
moments.
Sometimes these symptoms
are a sign of PTSD, but what you
may not have heard of is another
similar condition that has some
key differences: complex posttraumatic
stress disorder (CPTSD).
WHAT IS CPTSD?
CPTSD is a form of PTSD that
is vastly different from the
traditional diagnosis. Unlike
PTSD, which can develop at any
age, CPTSD generally arises after
someone experiences longlasting,
on-going trauma from
an early age. It is also common
in people who have experienced
multiple traumas, or were
harmed by someone close.
Alongside traditional PTSD
symptoms, which can include
nightmares, anxiety, feeling
unsafe, and a lack of trust in
people, CPTSD has additional
symptoms that can often be
confused with borderline
personality disorder (BPD). >>>