cPTSD - Does it exist

[CapeStorm]

I was brought up in a highly dysfunctional home. It's was characterised by abandonment / emotional neglect and a patenting style that chose fear over love flowing from a patents PD (OCPD).

After months of therapy (unfortunately only started in mid-life) I'vd been diagnosed with AvPD and Dysthemia (chronic low grade depression). The AvPD is supposed to be dealt with through talk therapy while the depression is likely to be very long term, though low dose, AD.

I've been reading about C-PTSD and had wondered if my illnesses were better described that way (I'm not looking for any kind of insurance benefits etc, but just a quicker way to describe my psycho-emotional health). My MD says C-PTSD does not exist. Is he right? Should I just go on to describe myself with these two labels (which I think are actually symptoms of broader PTSD)?

Any thoughts?

[Boat Babe]

Complex PTSD is a thing. I wish it weren't. Blimey, where do we start?  Yes, please get yourself a second opinion at the very least.

From a layperson's perspective, if you have suffered prolonged trauma as a child, it is highly likely you will experience all sorts of symptoms such as depression, anxiety, dissociation, addictive behaviours, memory problems, etc. These are symptoms of cptsd.

The good news is that much of the damage done to you can be healed. It's hard work and is, we find, the work of a lifetime.

Are you still in an abusive environment or experiencing sporadic abuse? I ask this because in depth healing can only begin once we are safe and no longer putting all our energy into survival. I look forward to hearing more from you.

[Worthy of Care]

C-PTSD is real. If you live in United States, it is not listed in the DSM-5. That doesn't mean it isn't real, but that might be what your doctor is referring to.

[moglow]

CapeStorm, there are many modes of thought out there regarding any illness, and what one doctor doesn't see, five others are on board. Every doctor with whom you speak may have a different take on it, thus the complications in getting diagnosed at all much less finding appropriate treatment and recovery options.

Personally, I've never been fond of labels - they may give me an idea what's going on but it's just an overview with limitless possibilities. I try to keep in mind that we're all different. I remember years ago Ash at bpdrecovery.com saying there were 253 different kinds of BPD: To be diagnosed, you have to meet *at least* five of the seven diagnostic criteria. Not everyone will have the same five, some will have six and others all seven. Clearly that means BPD won't present the same in all - it's an umbrella. Throw in common morbidities with other personality disorders, medical conditions, etc, and the lines become even more blurred.

Me, I continue to look at the behaviors and symptoms of any illness, what I can change or adjust and how. Telling people I fight depression makes them think I'm sad and cry all the time - there's some truth to that but that's not the all of it. There's the sleeplessness or sleep disturbances, appetite or none, irritability, feeling empty and having no energy, restlessness, lack of concentration and focus - and it varies even just within me. I know others have similarities and things I/they rarely experience even with the same supposed diagnosis.

It feels like this goes back to your other thread, about telling people "what you have." Honestly I don't see the need - people will love and accept you for yourself, those who don't aren't going to change because of a presumed diagnosis or condition. It might give them some understanding but who wants to go through any relationship explaining why they are doing what they're doing. Nobody has to agree or even discuss any diagnosis you may have. By all means if your behavior is offensive to people, look at it and consider why. Consider what can or should change and go from there. Don't just slap a label on it and let it ride untouched! Look at it as a learning opportunity and keep on growing.

Be who you are and say what you feel, you'll find your people without a host of explanations!

[1footouttadefog]

There is a sister website to this one called Outofthestorm.  It deals with C-PTSD

Perhaps you will find some useful resources there.

https://www.outofthestorm.website/