 Hey Psych2GoFem, burst off. We'd like to give a huge thanks for all the support that you give us. Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone. Now, let's begin. Many of you have heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but have you heard of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or CPTSD? It's a subset of PTSD, and it has been a hot topic among mental health professionals because of its striking similarities to traditional PTSD and other mental health diagnosis. These similarities make researchers wonder if CPTSD should be its own type of PTSD, or if it's more closely related to other psychiatric disorders. Before we begin, we would like to clarify that any information provided here is for educational purposes only. Please do not use this video to self-diagnose or diagnose others. If you need mental health counseling or treatment, please reach out to a mental health professional. With that being said, Psych2Go presents to you 11 signs of CPTSD. 1. Physical Symptoms With CPTSD, you may re-experience the trauma through nightmares and emotional flashbacks, or remember the trauma in an intrusive and disruptive manner. This may lead to hypervigilance, irritability, problems with sleeping, or concentrating. You may also find yourself avoiding people, events, or activities that may be triggering. 2. Feelings of Worthlessness or Hopelessness Do you sometimes think that you're not good enough? Although these thoughts may be mistaken for depression, feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness are prominent features of both PTSD and CPTSD. Experts believe that feelings are made worse by self-talk surrounding your reaction to triggers and to relationship difficulties. 3. You Feel Isolated from Others You often feel as though no one else understands you. Feelings of isolation or alienation are the result of several aspects of PTSD and CPTSD. The feeling of being misunderstood may be amplified by guilt or shame surrounding your trauma and the need to avoid potential triggers. 4. Disruption in Different Areas of Your Life Part of PTSD and CPTSD is experiencing strong emotional flashbacks and anxiety. So you may be going out of your way to avoid being triggered, which can lead to issues with regulating your emotions, relating to others, as well as being more vulnerable to substance abuse. It may also affect your sleep or your behavior at work and school. 5. Depression and Anxiety Have you felt miserable for a long period of time? Do you experience constant tense periods of stress? A study by Gilbar had noted a strong relationship between the symptoms of PTSD and CPTSD with depression and anxiety. 6. You're Overly Suspicious of Others Do you sometimes seem a little reserved or standoffish with others? The ongoing and highly personal nature of your trauma may change the way you see the world. You may be less trusting of others, deflect or avoid questions or get defensive when someone talks or asks about you. 7. You Appear Unpredictable or Emotional A feature of CPTSD is experiencing difficulties controlling your emotions. Your feelings may suddenly change out of the blue or may become more intense. You may find yourself crying easily or getting disproportionately angry at someone or at a situation. 8. You Aren't Much of a Joiner Most people struggling from some form of PTSD structure their lives around not being triggered. Part of avoiding triggers might mean avoiding noisy or crowded environments or avoiding certain people who may bring up painful memories. This may lead to you appearing more reserved and withdrawn. 9. You Always Expect the Worst Do you always think you're going to fail your next test or quiz? Maybe you're quietly expecting your relationship to fail or that you'll lose your job. Since people with CPTSD have dealt with so much trauma, they may be constantly expecting things to take a turn for the worst. 10. You Have a Hard Time Trusting Others You constantly have to double check if the person you're meeting will show up or be on time. No matter what they say, you can't help but question their motives and actions. The trauma experienced by people with CPTSD may lead to the need to constantly question themselves, others, and their environments. It can be difficult to understand that they're not living in the trauma anymore. 11. You Feel Like No One Understands You If you're living with CPTSD, you may come to the realization that not everyone has gone through what you have. Maybe you've had a bad experience telling people or you weren't ready to talk about your experience. It can be very uncomfortable to explain or describe how you feel when the other person hasn't gone through anything similar to what you have. Have you struggled with trauma, PTSD, or CPTSD? Tell us about it in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, please like and share it with others who may find it helpful too. Don't forget to subscribe to Psych2Go for more content. All the references used are also added in the description box below. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in our next video.