We also suggest of complex PTSD being an “intermediate” in its phenomenological manifestation, with biological analogies seemingly supporting these hypotheses. There lies the question whether complex PTSD is a clearly defined distinct entity or a PTSD comorbid with BPD. Additionally, a study of Kuhlmann et al[44], correlated the history of trauma to BPD, showing a modification of grey matter at stress regulating centers, including the hippocampus, the amygdala, the anterior cingulate cortex and the hypothalamus.

Trauma! A PTSD Blog

Some examples of events that may cause PTSD include gun violence, military combat, or intimate partner abuse. If you or someone you know has Complex PTSD and memory loss, it is vital that they receive treatment from a trauma-focused mental health expert. Also, those facing substance use challenges as a result of unmet mental health needs might find treatment options to address both alcohol and drug problems concurrently through Hanley Center. A holistic and integrated therapy approach is typically required when treating patients with both C-PTSD and substance use disorders.

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Dissociation-a common feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-involves disruptions in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, and perception of the self and the environment. In this series, we have concentrated on the symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) and highlighted how each one changes lives. Trauma-related nervous system effects are amplified in complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). Researchers have found that some evidence-based therapies for PTSD, such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE), can also help people with CPTSD. With support, you can find new ways to identify and process what you’re feeling and adopt coping skills to manage emotions and build stronger relationships. Concluding, the authors suggest a continuum of clinical severity and symptoms’ development in trauma-related disorders, within a spectrum of clinical features, biological background and precipitating trauma, from classic PTSD towards a subtype of BPD; especially concerning cases supposing a comorbidity with PTSD.

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Memory loss can be both unsettling and aggravating for people suffering from C-PTSD. Forgetting traumatic memories or portions of your personal past might cause disorientation, identity disruption, or a lack of legitimacy for your experiences. It can also cause increased worry since you may fear losing additional memories or losing faith in your own recollections.

Clinical Features and Diagnostic Tests

In fact, it is common for dissociation to create disturbances in awareness, personal identity, perception, and recall or memory. I still have days when I do not feel well, and sometimes I wonder “why me” and feel the effects of the disorder. However, we often overreact or do not respond appropriately when faced with problems in our adult lives. Your trauma-informed therapist can help you understand some fundamental concepts such as how life is not fair, or how life is not easy. Your therapist may ask you questions to help you think and keep focused on the future such as, “What are some of your accomplishments which make you feel proud? ”  By using positive language, your therapist will help you recognize you are capable of coping well even with tough experiences.

Often those who live with the diagnosis of CPTSD feel intense shame about their bodies and their appearance. This description isn’t to say that survivors feel they are special than other people, but rather that they feel they don’t fit into any crowd. The loneliness that these feelings of detachment from other people bring is palpable. Let’s examine together each symptom and what it means to those who experience them. So, if you’re living with PTSD and you can’t get enough sleep at night, this can intensify your brain fog.

Symptoms and signs of C-PTSD

Survivors are victims of severe and repeated trauma, not monsters who came from nowhere. Their bodies were used or damaged by people who didn’t care about their well-being and the helpless they felt then often translates into shame now. Due to the causes of CPTSD, many who are living under its influence feel uncomfortable around other people. It may feel strange or distressing to be with others and one of the reasons is because the survivor feels they are different than other people somehow.

• Figure 3 summarizes these findings while visually presenting a broader emotion dysregulation account of reactivity to trauma-related stimuli in PTSD.
• It may help to attend a support group, either in person or online, to connect with others who have had similar experiences.
• This is known as an amygdala hijack and can also result in things like flashbacks, nightmares, or being easily startled.
• CPTSD Foundation supports clients’ therapeutic work towards healing and trauma recovery.
• A doctor will need to look at the specific person’s history of trauma to develop the best course of treatment.

Brain fog is a type of alteration symptom that many people with a history of trauma experience. Originally used to describe the results of childhood trauma, complex PTSD now includes other kinds of chronic trauma. Some people stay in unhealthy complex ptsd blackouts relationships because the situation is familiar. If their trauma involved abuse, their feelings about their abuser may be complicated. Those with complex PTSD often experience intense emotions, which are sometimes inappropriate.

What Causes or Triggers C-PTSD?

Sand tray therapy helps you construct a microcosm in the sand tray of your life and those connected to it using miniature toys and different colored sand. Although not as well-known as the therapies listed above, sand tray or sandbox therapy isn’t just for kids; it is also an essential form of treatment for adults, as well. This form of treatment involves the therapist attempting to help their client identify and change inaccurate thinking patterns which can lead to behaviors that are harmful or ineffective. It would seem the amygdalae of survivors, because of being exposed to repeated trauma in the past, works overtime to seek out any situation it sees as something to run from. Most people can relate to feeling afraid about things that haven’t occurred yet like a wedding or an upcoming speech.