Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that indicates someone experienced a repeated, prolonged trauma or multiple traumas that compounded upon one another. Children who experienced sexual or physical abuse during their formative years may develop C-PTSD. C-PTSD involves all of the criteria for PTSD (flashbacks, avoidant behavior, reactive behavior), but it also includes difficulty regulating emotions, maintaining a good self-image, and maintaining relationships.
Therapeutic interventions that may help people with PTSD can also help those with C-PTSD. These therapies include Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which uses lights, sounds, and cross-lateral brain stimulation to process traumatic memories; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps address unhelpful thought patterns and corresponding behaviors, and overall goals to regain a sense of self.
