Notice how the definition and criteria does not “draw the line” on whose trauma is severe enough to warrant a diagnosis. I would encourage you to read the full list of symptoms on Wikipedia. As with any form of trauma, no two survivors will react the same way - C-PTSD, then, is an umbrella term that describes a dysfunctional reaction to prolonged trauma, a lot of which survivors may not even be consciously aware of. Those symptoms can include difficulty regulating emotions suicidality and self-injury forgetting the trauma and/or reliving it through rumination or emotional flashbacks dissociation or a sense of unreality struggles within interpersonal relationships, like withdrawal or mistrust intense helplessness, guilt, and shame a sense of being distinctly different from other people and even paranoia and psychosis.

I would add that systemic oppression (like racism or ableism) is inherently imbalanced as well, which is why I think there’s such an abundance of trauma survivors in marginalized communities.Ĭomplex PTSD, then, describes a very specific reaction to ongoing trauma. The most common example is a neglectful or abusive caregiver, though that’s not the only kind of chronic trauma that exists. C-PTSD is chronic in nature, meaning it was ongoing for some time.

This is different from PTSD, which is usually the result of a particular event. Complex PTSD is a condition that results from ongoing, chronic trauma, usually involving harm or abandonment within interpersonal relationships, particularly where there is an imbalance of power. I think when we combine this with a culture of invalidation (one which, generally speaking, does not believe or affirm survivors), it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that coming to terms with trauma is such a challenge.īefore we go any further, let’s define C-PTSD.

I’m glad because, too often, survivors diminish their own suffering - as Pete Walker, a trauma survivor and psychotherapist specializing in C-PTSD points out, the inner critic of a survivor is particularly strong.

I’m really glad that someone asked me this question. Where is the line drawn? And is it wrong to say I have C-PTSD if it’s a helpful label to me? Hey Sam! How do you know whether or not you have complex PTSD/trauma? I worry that what I went through wasn’t “traumatic” enough to warrant a diagnosis, and I don’t want to claim something that isn’t mine to claim. Crazy Talk is a mental health advice column, getting real about life with a mental illness. While I’m not a medical doctor, I’m living the good life with depression, OCD, and complex trauma, unapologetically owning my “crazy.” We’re talking all things mental health - trauma, happy pills, mood episodes, and whatever else you tweet me about! Check out last week’s column here.

Complex trauma pete walker