What is Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, CPTSD?

You may also have a negative self-perception, which can affect your identity and beliefs about the world. If you have complex PTSD, you may be offered therapies used to treat PTSD, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). However, as CPTSD is a newly recognized condition, some providers may not be aware of it. Comorbid psychiatric disorders were diagnosed using the Croatian version of MINI for DSM-5 (Sheehan, 2015; Sheehan et al., 1997) that enables researchers to assess the 17 most common psychiatric disorders in DSM-5.

Is complex PTSD a separate condition?

These treatments are approved and endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and the Veteran’s Administration. Talk to your healthcare professional or a mental health professional if you have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month, especially if they’re severe. Also, see a health professional if you’re having transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment trouble getting your life back under control.

How to Help Someone with Complex PTSD

For years, she suppressed her feelings while also suffering from physical issues like chronic headaches, stomachaches, and back pain, the onset of which were never met with clear diagnoses or causes. If you have complex PTSD, you may have strong and sudden emotional flashbacks. This can make you feel like you’re reexperiencing parts of your trauma. On the other hand, you may forget details of your trauma or feel detached from your mind or body (dissociation).