What is complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

It is a condition where some symptoms of PTSD are experienced along with some additional symptoms. These include difficulty regulating emotions which may include regular self-harm and suicidal feelings. People with complex PTSD can feel angry and distrustful of others. They may also feel worthlessness and have constant feelings of emptiness or hopelessness. It can lead to people feeling very isolated where they do not feel understood and feel very different to other people around them. Friendships and relationships can be extremely difficult to maintain and may be avoided. There can be dissociative experiences where there is a feeling of being outside of yourself, seeing yourself from a distance or feeling that the world is unreal and things around you feel foggy. Complex PTSD can also involve physical symptoms including headaches, gastrointestinal issues, dizziness and chest pains. Complex PTSD can be caused by childhood abuse, neglect or abandonment, ongoing witnessing or experiencing of violence or abuse, being forced in the sex trade, torture, kidnapping or slavery.