C-PTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Complex PTSD) is considered a category of PTSD with additional symptoms such as negative self-beliefs (terror, worthlessness, and helplessness). Hypervigilance can feel like a huge barrier in life- being jumpy and scared so much of time.  Also negative self-believes can haunt us, like shame and guilt. And it’s hard to stay cool and calm when emotional dysregulation gets us in its grasp.

Our moods swing and we have difficulty controlling anger, outbursts. Our emotional reactions are strong, like shame and guilt, and last a long time—we sometimes overreact to minor things. And then there is our being reckless, overwhelmed, exhausted. It sure is hard, whether we’re a child or an adult, to make good decisions.

C-PTSD is not easy to diagnose. Sometimes a child is given the wrong diagnosis and carries untreated trauma into adulthood. It never hurts to get a trauma check from a trauma-informed therapist. Most will tell you if asked whether trauma is something they are familiar with.

It is always a good idea to check in with someone feeling despair and anguish— I always ask if they are thinking of hurting or killing themselves. There are suicide hotlines available.