Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD, C-PTSD, complex PTSD) describes the results of continuous and inescapable relational trauma. Unlike post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD generally involves being hurt by another person. These injuries are continuous, repeated, and often involve betrayal and a loss of security. You may have heard of post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD, but you may not be familiar with complex PTSD, sometimes referred to as C-PTSD.
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by long-term or chronic trauma. People with complex post-traumatic stress disorder usually have at least some of the symptoms of PTSD, but they may have other symptoms as well. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in response to trauma. It's similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it involves different factors, such as the type of trauma that causes it.
Complex PTSD is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder that develops after a prolonged traumatic event, such as captivity or abuse, that occurs over a period of months or years. In addition, 90% of victims of child sexual abuse, 33% of children exposed to community violence, and 77% of children exposed to school shootings develop post-traumatic stress disorder (NCBH). Some may forget traumatic events (even if they've experienced them once), relive them in an intrusive way, remember traumatic material in a different chronological order, or other distressing experiences called dissociation. First recognized as a condition affecting war veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be caused by a series of traumatic events, such as a car accident, a natural disaster, a near-death experience, or other isolated acts of violence or abuse.