Mental Health CPTSD I've searched site but cannot find this specifically referred to anywhere

[Airmid]

I was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Disorder eight years ago now. I spent six years in therapy and tried various treatments and of course meds. Nothing has worked and it's been implied that I may never get better. Thing is I'm not an 'ex vet' just came about through continuous years of harrowing experiences and would like to know if there is anyone else suffering from this condition.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

It's somewhat doubtful that you've both tried all medications for this condition and have given them a decent amount of time to work. In most cases, the medication(s) that work best are those that take weeks to work fully. After every change, it would probably do well to wait a couple weeks before throwing it in the bin and trying something else.

Who said you won't get better? A doctor? What does "implied" mean? There's always that asshole that we are unfortunate to come across in life who doesn't have faith and respect in us. If you want to get better, to truly want it and are willing to work at it constantly, you most likely will.

 

[SixBuckets]

I have C-PTSD (among other things) and found most of the medication I tried to be quite useless. Topiramate helped the depersonalisation a bit, but I didn't have any luck treating my other symptoms. I also found therapy less than useless.

It doesn't sound very reassuring, but the only things that helped me were time and support from my loved ones. I still have some symptoms, but my trauma reactions have gotten less severe as I've learned to cope with them. I wish I could tell you there's some short cut, but the only thing that helped me improve was just living with my symptoms for a really long time.

 

[Man in the Dark]

I have been hearing more and more about C-PTSD, I have a pretty severe case of PTSD due to injuries suffered in the military amongst other traumatic events. I was diagnosed around 2009 but have been suffering way before that and I've been hearing more m about complex PTSD in the VA circle and through some fellow veterans. Diagnostically what is the difference and what are the Doctors saying is the difference between complex PTSD and PTSD.

 

[Airmid]

Welcome to the 'hole', you may find this article helpful to your question. But there is no guaranteed treatment for this condition, at this time.

Copied from the National Center for PTSD

[h=2]Complex PTSD[/h]Many traumatic events (e.g., car accidents, natural disasters, etc.) are of time-limited duration. However, in some cases people experience chronic trauma that continues or repeats for months or years at a time. The current PTSD diagnosis often does not fully capture the severe psychological harm that occurs with prolonged, repeated trauma. People who experience chronic trauma often report additional symptoms alongside formal PTSD symptoms, such as changes in their self-concept and the way they adapt to stressful events.
Dr. Judith Herman of Harvard University suggests that a new diagnosis, Complex PTSD, is needed to describe the symptoms of long-term trauma (1). Another name sometimes used to describe the cluster of symptoms referred to as Complex PTSD is Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS)(2). A work group has also proposed a diagnosis of Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) for children and adolescents who experience chronic traumatic events (3).
Because results from the DSM-IV Field Trials indicated that 92% of individuals with Complex PTSD/DESNOS also met diagnostic criteria for PTSD, Complex PTSD was not added as a separate diagnosis classification (4). However, cases that involve prolonged, repeated trauma may indicate a need for special treatment considerations.
[h=3]What types of trauma are associated with Complex PTSD?[/h]During long-term traumas, the victim is generally held in a state of captivity, physically or emotionally, according to Dr. Herman (1). In these situations the victim is under the control of the perpetrator and unable to get away from the danger.
Examples of such traumatic situations include:

• Concentration camps
• Prisoner of War camps
• Prostitution brothels
• Long-term domestic violence
• Long-term child physical abuse
• Long-term child sexual abuse
• Organized child exploitation rings

[h=3]What additional symptoms are seen in Complex PTSD?[/h]An individual who experienced a prolonged period (months to years) of chronic victimization and total control by another may also experience the following difficulties:

• Emotional Regulation. May include persistent sadness, suicidal thoughts, explosive anger, or inhibited anger.
• Consciousness. Includes forgetting traumatic events, reliving traumatic events, or having episodes in which one feels detached from one's mental processes or body (dissociation).
• Self-Perception. May include helplessness, shame, guilt, stigma, and a sense of being completely different from other human beings.
• Distorted Perceptions of the Perpetrator. Examples include attributing total power to the perpetrator, becoming preoccupied with the relationship to the perpetrator, or preoccupied with revenge.
• Relations with Others. Examples include isolation, distrust, or a repeated search for a rescuer.
• One's System of Meanings. May include a loss of sustaining faith or a sense of hopelessness and despair.

[h=3]What other difficulties are faced by those who experienced chronic trauma?[/h]Because people who experience chronic trauma often have additional symptoms not included in the PTSD diagnosis, clinicians may misdiagnose PTSD or only diagnose a personality disorder consistent with some symptoms, such as Borderline, Dependent, or Masochistic Personality Disorder.
Care should be taken during assessment to understand whether symptoms are characteristic of PTSD or if the survivor has co-occurring PTSD and personality disorder. Clinicians should assess for PTSD specifically, keeping in mind that chronic trauma survivors may experience any of the following difficulties:

• Survivors may avoid thinking and talking about trauma-related topics because the feelings associated with the trauma are often overwhelming.
• Survivors may use alcohol or other substances as a way to avoid and numb feelings and thoughts related to the trauma.
• Survivors may engage in self-mutilation and other forms of self-harm.
• Survivors who have been abused repeatedly are sometimes mistaken as having a "weak character" or are unjustly blamed for the symptoms they experience as a result of victimization.

[h=3]Treatment for Complex PTSD[/h]Standard evidence-based treatments for PTSD are effective for treating PTSD that occurs following chronic trauma. At the same time, treating Complex PTSD often involves addressing interpersonal difficulties and the specific symptoms mentioned above. Dr. Herman contends that recovery from Complex PTSD requires restoration of control and power for the traumatized person. Survivors can become empowered by healing relationships which create safety, allow for remembrance and mourning, and promote reconnection with everyday life (1).
[h=3][/h]

 

[Airmid]

8( Sorry forgot to include this information is from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the references/sources were including

[h=3]References[/h][h=2]

1. Herman, J. (1997). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence from domestic abuse to political terror. New York: Basic Books.
2. Ford, J. D. (1999). Disorders of extreme stress following war-zone military trauma: Associated features of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or comorbid but distinct syndromes? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 3-12.
3. van der Kolk, B. (2005). Developmental trauma disorder. Psychiatric Annals, 35(5), 401-408.
4. Roth, S., Newman, E., Pelcovitz, D., van der Kolk, B., & Mandel, F. S. (1997). Complex PTSD in victims exposed to sexual and physical abuse: Results from the DSM-IV field trial for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10, 539-555.

[/h]

 

[Airmid]

Sorry messed up post quote it should read correctly below.

 

[Airmid]

You also may find this of interest from Wiki

Situations causing the kind of traumatic stress that can lead to C-PTSD-like symptoms include captivity or entrapment (a situation lacking a viable escape route for the victim), as well as psychological manipulation (gaslighting and/or false accusations), which can result in a prolonged sense of helplessness and deformation of one's identity and sense ofself.^[3] C-PTSD is distinct from, but similar to, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), somatization disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and borderline personality disorder.^[4]
Though mainstream journals have published papers on C-PTSD, the category is not formally recognized in diagnostic systems such as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).^[5] C-PTSD was not included in DSM-IV or in DSM-5, published in 2013.^[6] However, the DSM includes "disorder of extreme stress, not otherwise specified" and the ICD has the similar code "personality change due to classifications found elsewhere" (31.1), both of whose parameters approximate C-PTSD.^[4]
C-PTSD involves complex and reciprocal interactions among multiple biopsychosocial systems. It was first described in 1992 by Judith Herman in her book Trauma & Recoveryand an accompanying article.^[4][7] Forms of trauma associated with C-PTSD involve a history of prolonged subjection to totalitarian control^[4] including sexual abuse (especiallychild sexual abuse), physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, torture or psychological torture—all repeated or prolonged traumas in which there is an actual or perceived inability for the victim to escape

 

[Man in the Dark]

Thanks, greatly appreciated. I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis. This shit dosent go away no matter what you do, I don't care what other people say. Doctors with their therapies and meds don't realize that they are sometimes talking to an empty diead shell of a person.

What makes these kind of diagnosis worse is that nobody understands so it makes it difficult to get along with people, especially when it comes to family and relationships .

Thanks again for helping me out hope you're doing well

 

[Airmid]

Thank you, is it okay to PM you?..You are more than welcome to PM me..Yes it is shit

 

[SixBuckets]

Whoa WTF? Did the US Department of Veteran Affairs just compare working in a brothel to being in a concentration camp?

 

[ahint]

I'm not sure I see it as directly comparing the two, more pointing out that both can lead to C-PTSD.

 

[SixBuckets]

Most of the research that's found a link between sex work and PTSD has focussed on women who have experienced sexual violence at work, so I'd question whether that's an appropriate connection to suggest. We don't say that marriage can lead to C-PTSD even though a lot of women develop C-PTSD after experiencing domestic violence at the hands of their husbands - we attribute the PTSD to the violence. It might seem like a minor quibble, but stigma is really damaging for people like sex workers who already experience social marginalisation.