By Sheriden Garret: Complete Post through this link…
omplex post-traumatic stress disorder, or C-PTSD, is the result of prolonged exposure to trauma. Whereas PTSD reflects a disorder that derives from a short-lived traumatic experience like a car accident or sexual assault, C-PTSD stems from instances of ongoing chronic trauma like domestic violence, being held in captivity or ongoing childhood physical/sexual abuse.
We asked members of The Mighty’s PTSD community to fill us in on some of the “habits” of people living with complex PTSD. This is what they told us:
1. Having Chronic Nightmares and Flashbacks
“I never feel rested. I have chronic nightmares, so my body is always on alert, even when I’m sleeping. I have a very hard time trusting anyone enough to relate these things to. Even people I care about, because I don’t trust that they will blame what happened to me instead of blaming me like it’s somehow all my fault… like something is wrong with me.” — Wendy M.
“I have woken up with nightmares or flashbacks, or ‘what if situations,’ and gone into full anxiety. I have a hypoallergenic teddy bear to help with nighttime terrors, and some people make fun of me for this because ‘adults shouldn’t have teddy bears.’ During the day I have my Mickey Mouse squishy, which helps ground me. But I recently lost it, so I’m not coping so well right now.” — Zafreen J.
“Emotional flashbacks, when I react to something in the present like it’s one of the many traumas I went through in the past… Disturbing nightmares, they’re not always about the past traumas I’ve gone through though. But the nightmares always wake me up in a state of anxiety, making me never feel rested. I’m always completely exhausted.” — Samantha D.
2. Distrusting Others
“I don’t trust anyone. It takes multiple visits with doctors, etc. before I feel semi-comfortable. People don’t know the inner battle I face daily. They don’t know about the flashbacks that make me feel like a victim all over again or the nightmares that follow me after I wake up. My family knows I need at least a week’s notice before they show up so I can clean and prepare myself mentally and emotionally…” — Tamasvi G.
