Number 5: CPTSD, or complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
I don’t like to call it a disorder; I call it a response because it actually is a response. It’s a complex set of multiple responses. CPTSD is an umbrella term for all the disorders that we have discussed so far. It encompasses all the alterations that happen in a human being when he or she is exposed to extreme stress or trauma that lasts for months. Yes, it does not give you PTSD. People out there are talking about, “Oh, PTSD from narcissistic abuse!” There is no such thing. The only thing that makes sense in this context is complex post-traumatic stress.
Why? Well, PTSD is applicable to those individuals who have been exposed to one singular traumatizing event, which could be a car accident or somebody’s death. But CPTSD is applicable to all those individuals whose trauma was never-ending; it was chronic and complex. CPTSD is what explains every single change, and every single trauma response that you are experiencing. The diagnostic criteria for CPTSD encompasses every single alteration that you are struggling with. I’m talking about your memory issues, emotional flashbacks, rumination, trust issues, a big moral wound, lack of self-trust, chronic self-doubt, and trust in others that you cannot have. Every single thing—physical health issues, fatigue…
A Book: Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men.
You can run a simple Google search for the diagnostic criteria for CPTSD, and you will see your life described in front of you. There is one exclusion, though, and that is trauma bonding and cognitive dissonance. The diagnostic criteria for CPTSD do not talk about these two because they are atypical symptoms of trauma. What are atypical symptoms? Symptoms that you wouldn’t see in the typical survivors, the general population of trauma survivors. These are exclusive to survivors of narcissistic abuse.
Now, how do you heal from CPTSD from a lifetime of trauma? Well, that is, in itself, a journey, and you have to do a lot of things. You have to work on your body, you have to work on your brain, you have to work on your health, and you have to work on your social connections. There are many things that you have to do to become whole again. See, the truth is, I have been through this healing, and I can tell you it’s like being born again. And you know how difficult it is to recreate a personality after having none or after having a disorganized, dismantled personality. When you create one, it takes immense strength, but it’s worth it. It takes patience, it takes work, and it takes sweat and blood. But you have to do it; there is no other option.
Now, your question may be, “Where do I start with this journey?” Well, you have to get started with stabilization—stabilizing your system, which comes from the triphasic model of trauma treatment given by Judith H. Herman, the pioneer in this field. You can read her book; it’s called Trauma and Recovery. It will explain everything beautifully.
Stabilization is stabilizing your nervous system and stabilizing your environment. It does not begin with exploding trauma. Okay, let’s get in; let’s aim for a catharsis. That is going to retraumatize you, so making it easier and calming your systems down is the beginning and the first step for any recovery from complex trauma.
Read More: 10 Strange Traits of People Mentally Abused By Narcissists.
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