• The General Mental Health Forum is now a Read Only Forum. As we had two large areas making it difficult for many to find, we decided to combine the Mental Health & the Recovery sections of the forum into Mental Health & Recovery as a whole. Physical Health still remains as it's own area within the entire Recovery area.

    If you are having struggles, need support in a particular area that you aren't finding a specific recovery area forum, you may find the General Struggles forum a great place to post. Any any that is related to emotions, self-esteem, insomnia, anger, relationship dynamics due to mental health and recovery and other issues that don't fit better in another forum would be examples of topics that might go there.

    If you have spiritual issues related to a mental health and recovery issue, please use the Recovery Related Spiritual Advice forum. This forum is designed to be like Christian Advice, only for recovery type of issues. Recovery being like a family in many ways, allows us to support one another together. May you be blessed today and each day.

    Kristen.NewCreation and FreeinChrist

Ptsd and cptsd

GirdYourLoins

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2016
1,220
929
Brighton, UK
✟122,682.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Hi, just come on here as I am sure that I have complex PTSD although I have not had a definite diagnosis from my doctor.

As I understand it the main difference is that CPTSD comes from long term abuse usually starting in early childhood whereas PTSD is usually from a single or short term traumatic event. The key difference is the long term suffering of the abuse or neglect that causes it. This leads to additional symptoms such as helplessness, loss of hope, loss of or reduction in faith and other symptoms on top of the usual PTSD.

One thing have learned recently is that it does not need to be abuse or trauma that causes CPTSD, but purely neglect of a child. If a child does not receive the emothional support they need from a parent at a young age it can lead to CPTSD by itself. In particular preverbal abuse can be a major factor which apparently results in the symptoms being more ingrained behavioural responses. Preverbal means it was suffered before you could talk.
 
Upvote 0

Poppyseed78

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Sep 13, 2016
3,099
3,339
US
✟275,982.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Cptsd is caused by prolonged trauma that is interpersonal in nature. In other words, it is caused by people, whereas ptsd is more typically caused by a discrete (single) event, such as a car accident or natural disaster. Cptsd is usually due to long-term abuse or neglect inflicted by other people, with either a real or a perceived sense of helplessness and inability to escape the abuse.

Both conditions are serious, and I would recommended an experienced, trauma-informed therapist if you are considering counseling. Cptsd has many of the same symptoms as ptsd (such as nightmares, flashbacks, and irritability), but it has some additional symptoms as well, such as a pervasive sense of emptiness and worthlessness, shame, severe and prolonged anxiety and depression, emotional dysregulation, dissociation, suicidal ideation, and distrust of others. One common symptom is ruminating thoughts about the abuser that vacillate between anger and an obsessive desire for the abuser's approval or validation.

Basically, it can completely shatter one's belief system and sense of safety in the world, and it affects the ability to relate to other people to a greater extent than ptsd. Cptsd is more commonly caused by childhood trauma, but it can begin in adulthood as well, such as during an abusive marriage.
 
Last edited:
  • Informative
Reactions: Dave-W
Upvote 0

Hope37

Member
Jun 10, 2018
10
14
51
Norwich
✟15,581.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Single
Cptsd messes up your foundations and ways of relating to people. It comes from long-term abuse where there was a strong element of powerlessness. It fundamentally restructures the sense of self and not in a good way. Ptsd seems to me to be more about a single event which although it can still be life-changing, doesn't screw you up in quite the same way as cptsd.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Poppyseed78
Upvote 0

GirdYourLoins

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2016
1,220
929
Brighton, UK
✟122,682.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Ive had a really bad year this year with work and health issues, false allegations against me and being the victim of crime. It has left me reeling and questioning God. I'm not thinking of renouncing my faith or denying God, but if this is how I have to live as a Christian I dont think I have the strength to live like this. Ive always had problems in life, several friends have commented over the years that I have far more stuff outside my control happen to me than anyone else they know. My hair has gone white with the stress this year. Add to that, that I have CPTSD and Ive been struggling. Ive posted on a few threads on CF.

One of the traits of PTSD and CPTSD is the need to talk to people about things and verbalise problems you have. I have had a diminishing number of friends because of this and now find that there is no real support for me any more and I rarely socialise. I think I will change church soon due to the lack of like-minded people at church. There used to be a few but they got driven out by the pastor, justifiably as even though they were men of God they were unrepentant about certain issues and caused a few problems. So at the moment Im thinking that the only thing I can do to try to minimise the spiritual attack that Ive been under is to back away from my involvement in this church and the works I have been doing with them.
 
Upvote 0

MariaJLM

Crazy Cat Lady
Aug 1, 2018
1,117
1,475
32
Calgary
✟43,315.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Celibate
Politics
CA-Others
After reading the responses in this thread I'm fairly certain CPTSD is what I have rather than PTSD. I endured so much as a child: a disfiguring dog attack, countless health issues/surgeries, an unstable home life, and finally countless bullying and harassment at the hands of my peers. I have always struggled to bond with others and connect to them, among other things. Not to mention that I feel utterly defeated and hopeless about my future. I think this could very well be the culprit.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums