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hat is Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)? How is it different from PTSD
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is a psychological and behavioral disorder caused by multiple or prolonged traumatic events that develops when the individual feels that escape is unlikely. The symptoms of CPTSD include not only the reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal characteristic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but also additional symptom clusters such as affect dysregulation, negative self-beliefs, and interpersonal relationship difficulties.
According to the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11), CPTSD is a subcategory of PTSD characterized by difficulties in regulating emotions and negative beliefs about the self.
Diagnostic criteria for CPTSD
In ICD-11, a diagnosis of CPTSD requires meeting criteria for PTSD and demonstrating difficulty regulating emotions, negative self-beliefs, and difficulty maintaining important interpersonal relationships. The symptoms must cause significant functional impairment in life.
CPTSD in Children and Adolescents
Unlike adults, children and adolescents’ traumatic experiences often involve relationships with family violence, abuse, and the loss of a primary caregiver. This makes them more susceptible to developing complex trauma. The concept of "Developmental Trauma Disorder" (DTD) proposed by scholars is to apply similar terms to CPTSD to the situation of children.
Due to their different developmental stages, children exhibit significantly different symptoms from adults after experiencing trauma.
Symptoms in adults
Adult CPTSD patients often experience long-term interpersonal trauma, which may originate from childhood and affect the individual's self-awareness and interpersonal relationships. These patients often feel that they are unable to build trust with others and have a negative self-image as a result of the abuse they experienced.
The defining feature of CPTSD, rather than PTSD, is a state of loss of sense of self, which is often associated with chronic abuse and traumatic experiences.
Diagnosis and differential diagnosis
In diagnostic practice, CPTSD is distinguished from PTSD in the range and depth of its symptoms. PTSD focuses on re-experiencing, avoidance, and vigilance, while CPTSD focuses more on the individual's difficulties in emotion regulation, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships.
Treatment methods
Treatment strategies for CPTSD often need to be more specific to interpersonal difficulties and take into account the individual's affect dysregulation. Many standard PTSD treatments may have limited effectiveness for CPTSD, which requires addressing more complex symptoms.
ConclusionTreatment methods for CPTSD can help improve emotion regulation, self-cognition and interpersonal interactions, and enhance the quality of life of patients.
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is a multifaceted disorder that is more extensive and more difficult to treat than PTSD. For individuals who experience repeated trauma in their lives, prompt identification and treatment are critical. Every health care professional and support system should understand the uniqueness and complexity of CPTSD. We can't help but ask, how can we further enhance society's understanding and support for CPTSD patients to promote their recovery and rebuild their self-identity?
