Confused About Complex Trauma

[Jagged Angel]

I have read the article here on the forum about Complex PTSD, and things from a few books from the library about it, and I am confused. They all say that Complex PTSD comes from prolonged/constant trauma, abuse etc., but then they only refer to people who were abused as children and how to treat children or people abused as children.

I got the idea that prolonged/constant abuse, trauma could happen at any stage of your life, not just in your childhood, and thus that someone who had suffered multiple/prolonged traumas in their adulthood could develop Complex PTSD. So why is it then, that when discussing Complex PTSD, writers only mention people who were abused as children? Or is it a case of childhood abuse victims are the majority of people with Complex PTSD and so this is where the focus is?

 

[Manic11]

Jagged Angel,

I'm glad you posted about this. I have been wanting to have more information on this for a while!

Manic

 

[Auburngirl]

I was told I have this, and I was not abused as a child. Also, a lot of the writing about dissociative disorders says that they stem from childhood abuse. I assume that there are norms and exceptions...

 

[anthony]

The unofficial criteria for complex PTSD is that you where abused as a child / prolonged and constant abuse for a sustained period, typically years, ie. bullying at school takes place over years if prolonged vs. some bullying only occurs for a week or month, not years. There is also a difference between being sexually abused or physically abused (both) a few times as a child compared to an ongoing basis, even teen years for example, if a father abused his daughter sexually... once, twice a few times is not a duration, but a constant pattern is what is required where prolonged traumatic experiences occurred of the same nature and type over a prolonged period.

Yes, complex PTSD can be ascertained from a few sources, though childhood is the typical signification for a physician to look further. Not all people abused as children have complex PTSD though, as it depends on the abuse, the nature, type, extent, etc.

It is said that complex PTSD will be released in the DSM V, however; it is not current within the DSM. I do believe it might now be within the ICD though... I was told it was contained within the current ICD. If anyone can confirm or deny that of those who physically have the latest copy, that would be good.

It is a recognised diagnosis though within the mental health field... just not in the book as such just yet.

The unofficial aspects are covered upon the wikipedia though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_post-traumatic_stress_disorder

The big one with complex PTSD though is that the trauma physically affected your ability to develop what is classified as normally ie. normal perceptions of others, interactions, etc, depending obviously upon your neighbourhood, environment... as that is a factor to what is considered normal behaviours upon growing up.

 

[Jagged Angel]

Thank you for clearing this up... I had suspected that I fell into the category... and today I went to a new therapist (I moved towns) who has diagnosed me with Complex PTSD. I didn't even broach the subject with her. All she knew was that I had PTSD (which was written on my referral). She told me at the end of my session with her... she also said that it was not in the current DSM, but that it is something that psychs need to be aware of.

 

[starshine]

The thing with Complex PTSD, as Anthony touched on, is that it centres around your relationship with others and the world - the trauma happens when your perceptions of this and personality and finding your place in the world is being developed. Ongoing trauma of abuse wounds and damages this, so it doesn't get to develop in a normal healthy way.

Although remember that the criteria also include concentration camp experiences, domestic abuse [adults and child] and such.

 

[Marlene]

I asked my therapist (who's a PTSD specialist) what the different between complex and chronic PTSD is. His response is that it's really just two words for the same thing. He said that the term 'complex PTSD' started cropping up recently but that it doesn't have any difference from chronic.

Maybe that will change with the new DSM V. Who knows.

Lisa

 

[anthony]

I think you may want to rethink how much of a specialist this person is then, because straight from the DSM diagnosis:

Acute: if duration of symptoms is less than 3 months
Chronic: if duration of symptoms is 3 months or more

Complex has nothing to do with either of these. Complex is related to the duration of trauma itself, not the duration of symptoms. You only need to read the diagnosis criteria to see what chronic means. There is actually another, being severe, which is also symptom oriented. But complex still stands alone, unique to these, as it relates to the duration of trauma which entends onto how that duration has affected the personality from what is considered normal behaviours, expectations, etc. As starshine detailed above, as she went into more detail. Not even close though.

Sorry to be the bad news police Lisa... I don't mean to be, just like people to know the facts.

 

[Nicolette]

While I am no expert on any of this I can tell you I have observed the difference as Anthony has Severe PTSD (Combat) and my sister has Complex.

This is my take on it:

• Anthony knows how to act properly, what are good and healthy boundaries, has good self image (sometimes too much :wink:) and when not ill can integrate with people normally. Anthony seems secure within his self and doesn't exhibit traits of ending up in similar traumatic situations.
• My sister acts in ways which are not normal/healthy meaning her boundaries are skewed, she has little self worth and, while really good with people, does not know how to interact with them so she doesn't get taken advantage of (re victimised). She is also very insecure and has exhibited traits of repetition (re traumatisation due to skewed boundaries).

This is what I found on Wikipedia:

Differentiating PTSD from C-PTSD

Main article: Posttraumatic stress disorder

A differentiation between the diagnostic category of C-PTSD and that of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been suggested. C-PTSD better describes the pervasive negative impact of chronic repetitive trauma than does PTSD alone.[8][9]

PTSD descriptions fail to capture some of the core characteristics of C-PTSD. These elements include captivity, psychological fragmentation, the loss of a sense of safety, trust, and self-worth, as well as the tendency to be revictimized, and, most importantly, the loss of a coherent sense of self. It is this loss of a coherent sense of self, and the ensuing symptom profile, that most pointedly differentiates C-PTSD from PTSD.[10]

C-PTSD is characterized by pervasive insecure attachment.[11] DSM-IV dissociative disorders and PTSD do not include insecure attachment in their criteria.

 

[Hemels]

Thank you Nicolette for posting that. I got diagnosed with C-PTSD and when I asked my doctor what the difference was he said

"Due to the length of time you suffered the abuse from your ex partner, your PTSD is more Complex then someone that happened to get it from a single car crash." He carried on to say "Complex PTSD is not impossible to get better from, but due to the different obsticals it puts in the way it will take a lot longer and will be alot harder to overcome then just PTSD."

I don't know how true what my doctor said to me is but your post seems to clarify just what the difference is.

Hemmy xXx

 

[becvan]

Well I can give a bit of perspective on what is different.

I find that some of my big differences are in how I think. I just don't get from A to B like others. How I put things together is totally different and what conclusions I come to is different. People just can't grasp how and where I go.

I also see humanity as the epitome of evil. We are a plague on this planet. A few individuals have redeeming qualities but for the most part, I really detest people. I DESPISE society. They are totally ass backwards, make no sense and have no moral compass whatsoever. If we were to be blown up and totally wiped out I'd be good with that. Probably even quite happy about it.

I have a hard time believing I'm actually human. Don't want to be as a matter of fact. I do not want any relations to the human species. I consider animals to be superior. At least when they are violent, it's for a good reason. I do not feel I am part of the world or attached to people, never have, never will.

I have no filter when it comes to honesty. I just say it and that's it. I know most people have some.. this makes them feel bad or good.. filter. I don't. If the truth hurts it's really not my problem. I don't want to hurt anyone, but it happens by default.

I have no emotional filter either. When I feel something it just takes over. Then I'm all over the place. I have no control (well okay I have some now.. but it's taken four years!) If I'm angry I'm angry at everything. It just pours out of me. If I'm sad, same thing. Etc. A lack of emotional regulation is a very big part of C-PTSD.

I truly do not understand people and why they do things or how they think. I just can not grasp them.

I have numerous and severe disassociation symptoms. Although it doesn't feel like it, they are actually my most severe C-PTSD symptoms. In order to survive my childhood I had to become an expert at not being there in many forms. To this day, disassociation is in control. It is my way of being. It's normal. I still think some of it is funny to be described as a symptom, because that's just the way I am.

Now some of you with PTSD may see things you also do in this. I just don't know how to convey the severity of it with words. This is just the way it works for me. It's always been like this. I can't change my world view. It's how the world is. I doubt I'll ever learn to understand people. Emotions I'm a working on. And disassociation is how I function, period.

Hope that helps some.
bec

 

[Deleted member 541]

Nicolette,

I have never worried about which diagnosis I have, PTSD, or C-PTSD......I kind of knew I had C-PTSD as my old T mentioned it one time, but I always felt PTSD is PTSD , with the same symptoms.

Thanks for breaking it down and making it easier for me to grasp. I don't do all the Psyco babble stuff to well.