can you explain the difference between ptsd and complex ptsd? i cant seem to grasp what cptsd is for some reason!! thanks eevee (hope you have a great day 💕)

an-actual-real-live-eevee:

all right, so the first difference is the cause. c-ptsd is caused by long-term captivity or entrapment and/or chronic maltreatment by a caregiver/person you rely on. ptsd is caused by a single traumatic event, like sexual assault, warfare, or a traffic collision.

the second difference is in symptoms. ptsd consists of four main symptoms: reliving the event (flashbacks/nightmares/triggers), avoiding situations that remind you of the event, negative changes in beliefs and feelings, and being hypervigilant, or hyperaware of your surroundings. c-ptsd has additional symptoms, which are: difficulty with emotional regulation, dissociation and/or the possible forgetting of traumatic events, distorted self-perception, distorted perceptions of the perpetrator, difficulty in relationships with others, and struggling with one’s system of meaning (i.e. having feelings of hopelessness and despair, or experiencing a loss of faith).

so, for instance, because my ptsd resulted from multiple things including long-term exposure to abuse, I’d be considered to have c-ptsd. but I just say ptsd because it’s easier.

anyway, I hope this helps!