Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
According to the ICD-11, complex PTSD includes most of the core symptoms of PTSD, such as:
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Flashbacks (re-experiencing the traumatic event).
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Avoidance and detachment from people, events and environmental triggers of the trauma.
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Excessive attention to the possibility of danger (hypervigilance).
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Frequent negative thoughts and emotions.
In addition to the following symptoms:
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Excessive reactivity to negative emotional stimuli with anger and aggressive behavior (affective dysregulation).
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A negative sense of self involving persistent feelings of shame, guilt, failure and worthlessness.
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Severe difficulty in forming and maintaining meaningful relationships.
What causes CPTSD?
According to the ICD-11, complex PTSD results from exposure to a traumatic event or series of events of an extremely threatening nature. The events are usually prolonged or repetitive and escape from the situation is impossible or dangerous.
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Traumatic stress can change your brain’s chemistry and structure. Studies suggest that trauma is associated with permanent changes in key areas of your brain, including your:
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Amygdala: The part of your brain that processes fear and other emotions.
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Hippocampus: The part of your brain that’s largely responsible for learning and memory.
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Prefrontal cortex: The part of your brain that’s involved in executive functions, such as planning, decision-making, personality expression and controlling social behavior.
Some neuroimaging studies show that brain changes are more severe in people with CPTSD compared to people with PTSD.​​​​​
​In our office we find a combination of services are most effective
to help resolve the symptoms associated with C-PTSD.
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These services fall under a general term of Health and Behavioral Intervention, which includes
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Eye Movement Desentization Reprocessing (EMDR)
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Individual, Couples and/or Family Counseling/Psychotherapy.
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Click on the services listed above to be taken to that services page
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Experts across the field of psychology disagree on if CPTSD is a distinct condition and diagnosis. For example, two organizations that publish professional reference books have different opinions about CPTSD. In 2019, The World Health Organization (WHO) listed CPTSD in its 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). But the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which publishes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS-5), doesn’t recognize CPTSD as a distinct condition. The DSM-5 does list a sub-type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) called dissociative PTSD that seems to encompass CPTSD symptoms.
The clinician's working at Behavioral Medicine evaluate all symptoms as an indicator of quality of life. With 28 years of experience, we have seen the negative effects of trauma on the mind, body, spirit and relationships. We see a correlation between prolonged trauma and poor quality of life. Regardless of the label attached, our purpose is to help reduce the negative impact of trauma on your life through psychological and self-regulating therapies that rewire your mind, body, spirit for safety and connection.
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There is a growing body of research showing effective therapies for PTSD which can be applied to C-PTSD
​Click the buttons below to see some of the research related to PTSD/C-PTSD.
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