Left untreated, trauma can cause great harm to your physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being. Oftentimes, many people who’ve experienced trauma may try to hide or ignore their trauma, hoping it will go away on its own. However, unresolved trauma will inevitably linger in your life and hurt your quality of life. In this article, you’ll learn more about C-PTSD, and how to explain C-PTSD to someone who doesn’t have it.
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What is C-PTSD?
Research suggests that most people experience a traumatic event at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, some people develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) through being exposed to a traumatic event like a car accident or natural disaster. C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) is also when an individual experiences a traumatic event; however, they experience prolonged trauma/a series of traumatic events such as enduring ongoing abuse from a family member, partner, or friend. Meanwhile, PTSD oftentimes can refer to a single event.
Although any form of unresolved trauma can have a significant negative impact on your health and quality of life, C-PTSD can be especially harmful and difficult at times to treat because it involves trauma over a duration of time.
3 Tips on How to Explain C-PTSD to Someone
So, you may be wondering how to explain C-PTSD to someone who doesn’t have it. While most people understand what PTSD is, a simple way to start explaining C-PTSD to someone is explaining that C-PTSD involves experiencing a prolonged or series of traumatic events. Below are several tips on how to explain C-PTSD to someone.
- Define What C-PTSD Is and How It Differs From PTSD
As mentioned above, it’s important to explain what C-PTSD is to someone. Consider explaining what the abbreviation C-PTSD stands for: complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Also, explain that some people can develop C-PTSD through experiencing a series of traumatic events like experiencing domestic violence or war.
You can also consider mentioning the main difference between PTSD and C-PTSD, in that PTSD often refers to experiencing a single traumatic event. Meanwhile, C-PTSD refers to experiencing prolonged trauma, such as a series of traumatic events like ongoing physical abuse.
- Describe the Symptoms You Experience
Next, while you do not have to talk about your past trauma and specifics of your C-PTSD if you do not feel comfortable, you can explain in general what symptoms you experience. Or, you can try explaining common C-PTSD symptoms that individuals may experience like difficulty trusting others or avoiding certain places, people, or situations because of their past trauma.
- Discuss How You Can Treat C-PTSD
Finally, talking about how people with C-PTSD can cope with their symptoms is another way you can explain C-PTSD to someone. For example, individuals struggling with C-PTSD can seek professional help and see a licensed mental health professional who can help them identify, address, and work through unresolved trauma from their past.
Help Is Available
Now you know more about how to explain C-PTSD to someone who doesn’t have it. Unresolved trauma can greatly impact your health for the worse. If you or someone you know is struggling with C-PTSD, PTSD, or another mental health condition, it’s critical to seek professional help to safely and effectively heal and move forward.
At Tikvah Lake, we know how difficult it can be to suffer in silence with an addiction or mental illness. You should never feel afraid or ashamed to ask for help when it comes to leading a healthier, happier life. We offer a broad range of treatment programs and options to ensure you receive the right care to best meet your unique recovery needs. Ready to start your recovery journey? Contact us today!
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