Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is not included in the DSM-5. For this reason, we want to make a note of it here, especially as it relates to what could be viewed as treatment-resistant PTSD.    

PTSD and C-PTSD are similar in their root causes, with the "C" distinction reflecting the repetitive nature of the trauma experienced over a long period of time. People who have survived complex trauma, especially the trauma of sexual abuse, often display similar symptoms as those who live with Borderline Personality Disorder. Common symptoms include severe depression, mood swings, anger, extreme feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Those who live with these symptoms can be seen as having difficulty regulating their emotions. This often leads to a diagnosis, especially in women, of Borderline Personality Disorder.

C-PTSD is often misdiagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder. The two share overlapping symptoms with one key difference, their attachment style triggered reactions[1]. 

With Borderline Personality Disorder the attachment style is one of needing someone to react to. They are hypervigilant about signs of rejection. Their fragmented sense of self is unstable and comes from a base of profound emotional emptiness with fears of being abandoned. 

With C-PTSD the attachment style is not based on fear of abandonment. Thiers is a more relational detachment style. In other words, they would prefer to be left alone in many cases. Their hypervigilance is based on safety. It is easier to keep the peace in their lives if they do not have to risk getting close enough to someone who could hurt them. 

While C-PTSD can be a severe and debilitating disorder, C-PTSD treatments do exist and are effective.

 Recovery from C-PTSD is a long process that often involves the standard treatments for PTSD (cognitive processing of the trauma), as well as additional psychotherapy to work assist emotional regulation, skill building to overcome learned behaviors and habits that formed during the duration of the trauma, and Somatic psychotherapy to help retrain the nervous system to function and respond appropriately instead of defaulting to stress responses. This is especially important if the trauma experienced began during childhood.

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*****

“If you believe change is possible, you want to change, and you are willing to do the work, you absolutely CAN get your life back.”

Get your copy of The Soldier's Guide to PTSD, The Soldier's Workbook, 

or Acknowledge & Heal, A Women's-Focused Guide to PTSD

Doing it "On Our Own"

 

When it comes to treatment for PTSD, time and again the phrase I hear is, "I want to do it on my own." 

Add to this: I don't want therapy, I don't want to talk to anyone, and I'm going to do it on my terms, my way.

I get that. No one relishes the idea of discussing our trauma, especially with a stranger.

I understand that we want to do this on our own terms, but I need to ask this: is what you're doing working?

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, and for us to recover successfully, we need to do something radically different. Treatment for PTSD doesn't tickle, but it's also not forever. Evidence-based treatments, like prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, and EMDR, work in 10 to 12 sessions. That's only 2 to 3 months if we are working with a therapist on a weekly basis.

One thing we know about PTSD is that it alters our belief system; this is part of the criterion D of PTSD diagnosis. So I know that many of us reading this right now believe that everyone else can recover from their PTSD, but not us. 

And so, I would ask you this: Is it possible that you're wrong? 

Have you ever done anything in your life that you thought was impossible? Is it possible that you are stronger than you think?

I encourage you to learn more about your PTSD symptoms and available treatments. We've created a Free Workbook to help you identify your symptoms so that you can make an informed decision to reclaim your life from PTSD and Moral Injury.

*****

“If you believe change is possible, you want to change, and you are willing to do the work, you absolutely CAN get your life back.”

Get your copy of The Soldier's Guide to PTSD, The Soldier's Workbook, 

or Acknowledge & Heal, A Women's-Focused Guide to PTSD

If What We're Doing Isn't Working, What Next?

When it comes to military PTSD and suicide, one thing is clear. What we are doing is not working.

Two data points from June 2021 immediately jump to mind and I've linked the studies to our Facebook page and in this post. According a 17 June 2021 survey, 35% of military connected individuals believe that PTSD is not treatable. This is a disappointing but not surprising outcome.

Also under the heading of disappointing but not surprising, the cost of war project at Brown University released a study on June 21st 2021 that more than four times the number of soldiers killed in combat have taken their own life through suicide since 9/11.

We've been talking about veteran suicide and PTSD for over a decade. PTSD awareness now has its own month in June, we have Master Resiliency Training, and every year I see people doing 22 push-ups on their Facebook pages military suicide awareness. Every year. For the last 10 years.

Albert Einstein said "No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that caused it." A simpler version of this, which I use every day, is "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

So what can we do differently? Here are my humble suggestions:

1. Identify the problem. Discuss the facts about PTSD in a language that Service Members — and anyone else — can understand. PTSD is an incredibly logical disorder, and we don't need to have a PhD to understand it. 
2. Discuss the courses of action. PTSD is completely treatable. As of this recording, there are three evidence-based treatments that are approved by the VA: prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, and EMDR. They work for most people most of the time, whether you have been dealing with symptoms for 5 years or 5 decades. 
3. Take action. Understand your symptoms, advocate for yourself, and ask for evidence-based treatments by name.

I encourage you to learn more about your PTSD symptoms and available treatments. We've created a Free Workbook to help you identify your symptoms so that you can make an informed decision to reclaim your life from PTSD and Moral Injury.

*****

“If you believe change is possible, you want to change, and you are willing to do the work, you absolutely CAN get your life back.”

Get your copy of The Soldier's Guide to PTSD, The Soldier's Workbook, 

or Acknowledge & Heal, A Women's-Focused Guide to PTSD