{"id":79548,"date":"2026-06-09T15:28:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T14:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spunout.ie\/navigator\/?post_type=informations&#038;p=79548"},"modified":"2026-06-16T14:29:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:29:02","slug":"complex-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-cptsd-the-causes-symptoms-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"informations","link":"https:\/\/spunout.ie\/navigator\/informations\/complex-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-cptsd-the-causes-symptoms-and-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD): The causes, symptoms and treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Complex PTSD (sometimes shortened to CPTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop if you have been through a single traumatic event or repeated traumatic experiences over a long period of time. It can have a significant impact on your life, affecting your sense of safety, how you view yourself, and your ability to trust other people. With the right help and support, people with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can and do recover.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is the difference between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spunout.ie\/voices\/experiences\/support-ptsd\/\">Post Traumatic Stress Disorder<\/a>\u00a0(PTSD) is a mental health condition that is caused by experiencing or witnessing something very stressful or threatening. It happens when the impact of the event or situation doesn\u2019t allow you to fully settle, and your mind and body continue to react as though the threat is still there, even though the event has passed. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PTSD and Complex PTSD are similar mental health conditions, but there are some symptoms that are unique to Complex PTSD. Complex PTSD involves additional symptoms that can develop when trauma deeply affects how a person sees themselves. This may lead to feeling broken, worthless or disconnected from others. While CPTSD is a serious mental health condition, with the right services and support, recovery is possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Common signs of Complex PTSD:<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Memories or thoughts from upsetting experiences that can appear unexpectedly<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trouble sleeping or having dreams about the past<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoiding certain situations or topics because they feel uncomfortable\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling anxious or emotionally drained\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong mood swings, feeling angry, sad or feeling numb\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling self-critical or disconnected from yourself and others<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might find yourself overthinking simple interactions or doubting yourself in certain situations. Or you might feel overwhelmed by things that seem easy for other people, and this can make life more stressful and harder to manage. Sometimes you might pull away from people, or react more strongly than you meant to, and then feel frustrated with yourself afterwards. These are some of the patterns that can develop after long-term traumatic experiences. Recognising the impact that CPTSD can have on you can help you make the first steps towards finding the right kind of support you need.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>What kind of experiences can cause Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop after a single overwhelming traumatic event, it is commonly linked to ongoing or repeated experiences over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Ongoing or repeated harm (including repeated mistreatment)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ongoing experiences, such as being treated unfairly over a period of time. It can look like being constantly criticised, ignored, or put down by someone you trusted. It can happen in your home, within your family dynamics, or in your friend circles. It can also happen online, like being repeatedly targeted in group chats, or receiving harsh comments and feeling pressure to keep up appearances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Emotional neglect\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not receiving the support or guidance you needed from people you relied on. Feeling like no one noticed when you were struggling, or that your feelings didn\u2019t matter. It might feel like your emotions have been ignored, which can make you doubt yourself. Over time, not being seen or supported in the way you need can affect how safe you feel opening up to others or asking for help.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Feeling unsupported or alone during tough times\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going through difficult situations. For example, family conflict, mental health struggles, or personal challenges without anyone to talk to or be there for you. You might have felt like you had to keep things to yourself or just get on with things when it felt overwhelming. Going through these experiences can have a real impact on your mind, body and the relationships in your life. Recognising these patterns can help you take steps towards understanding what you have been through.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Taking steps towards feeling safe again\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are recovering from Complex PTSD, it can take time. With the right help and support, you can slowly rebuild your sense of safety in different parts of your life. This can include learning to recognise things that may trigger you, practising grounding techniques, or finding people and spaces that make you feel safe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small steps can make a huge difference, whether it\u2019s setting boundaries, returning to activities you enjoy or giving your mind a rest. Over time, these small actions can help you feel more in control and connected to yourself and others.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Getting Support\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When taking the steps to get support, Complex PTSD can still feel overwhelming, especially if it\u2019s affecting your daily life. Talking to a professional or reaching out to someone you trust can make a real difference. Like any mental health condition, recovering from Complex PTSD often isn\u2019t a linear process. It can come with wins and setbacks, but people can and do recover from Complex PTSD.\u00a0 Professional support can help you to build a sense of safety in yourself,\u00a0 your body and your relationships, which can help you feel more in control and connected again.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Support can include:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Therapy &#8211; <\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Approaches like trauma-focused CBT, EMDR or schema therapy can help process long-term stress.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www2.hse.ie\/conditions\/ptsd\/complex-ptsd\/\">\u00a0 \u00a0Find out more about it here\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Peer Support &#8211;\u00a0 <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/spunout.ie\/mental-health\/getting-help\/conversation-mental-health\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talking to people who understand<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 what you are going through or joining groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Practical Strategies &#8211;\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journaling, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spunout.ie\/mental-health\/self-care\/try-mindfulness-exercises\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0mindfulness,<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and self-care routines<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling overwhelmed and want to talk to someone?<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get anonymous support 24\/7 with our text message support service.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connect with a trained volunteer who will listen to you and help you to move forward feeling better<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send\/?phone=353861804253&amp;text=HELLO&amp;type=phone_number&amp;app_absent=0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatsapp us now<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or free-text SPUNOUT to 50808 to begin.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/spunout.ie\/news\/article\/text-message-support-service\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find out more about our text message support service<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are a customer of the 48 or An Post network or cannot get through using the \u201850808\u2019 short code please text <\/span><\/i><b><i>HELLO<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><\/i><b><i>086 1800 280<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (standard message rates may apply).\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-79548","informations","type-informations","status-publish","hentry","inform_topic-feeling-stressed-or-low","inform_topic-getting-help","inform_topic-post-traumatic-stress-disorder","inform_topic-specific-mental-health-difficulties","inform_topic-trauma"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD): The causes, symptoms and treatment - spunout navigator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD): The causes, symptoms and treatment - spunout navigator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Complex PTSD (sometimes shortened to CPTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop if you have been through a single traumatic event or repeated traumatic experiences over a long period of time. 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