What is CPTSD? Key Symptoms and How It Impacts Your Life

You’ve probably heard of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), but have you heard of CPTSD?

It stands for Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and while it is not discussed nearly as often, it affects many people. If you or someone you care about has lived through trauma, especially if the aftershocks have lingered far longer than expected, CPTSD may be something to explore.

At Willow and Moss Counseling, we believe that being able to name what is happening in your mind and body is an essential part of healing. So let’s begin there: What is CPTSD, how might it show up, and what can support look like when you are living with it?

What Exactly is CPTSD?

CPTSD can be understood as PTSD’s more layered, complex cousin. While both conditions are responses to trauma, they tend to arise from different circumstances. PTSD often stems from a single, identifiable event—something sudden and overwhelming, like a serious car accident or natural disaster.

CPTSD, by contrast, tends to grow out of long-term, repeated exposure to harm. It often includes experiences such as:

• Living in an abusive home or relationship, whether the abuse is physical, emotional, or sexual

• Enduring prolonged emotional neglect or abandonment

• Navigating toxic, high-stress environments such as war zones or systems marked by coercion and manipulation

• Experiencing consistent psychological harm that leaves little room for rest or recovery

What distinguishes CPTSD is not just the intensity of the trauma, but the way it becomes woven into daily life. It is the ongoing nature of the harm that makes healing feel especially complicated.

How Does CPTSD Show Up?

The effects of CPTSD are not always visible from the outside, and they do not always follow a predictable pattern. Still, there are some common threads in how it can manifest over time:

• Disconnection or emotional numbness
  You may find yourself going through the motions without fully feeling present. Life can feel muted, like there is a layer of distance between you and your experience.

• Flashbacks or intrusive thoughts
  Moments from the past may surface without warning. Sometimes they arrive as vivid recollections. Other times, they are more subtle but still disorienting—sensations, sounds, or images that pull you back into what you thought was over.

• Difficulty trusting others
  When trauma is relational, especially when it comes from people who were supposed to be safe, trust can feel dangerous. You might struggle to let others in, even if part of you longs for connection.

• Low self-worth or persistent shame
  CPTSD can erode your self-image, especially if you internalized messages that you were too much, not enough, or unlovable. These beliefs are often quiet but powerful, and they tend to echo in your inner world for years.

• Hypervigilance or chronic anxiety
  Your system may feel constantly on edge, even in calm moments. It can be hard to relax when your body is still scanning for signs of threat.

These responses are not character flaws or weaknesses. They are adaptations—your body’s way of surviving what once felt unbearable. They do not define who you are, and with time and support, they can begin to soften.

What Can You Do About It?

If you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions, you are not alone. CPTSD can be isolating, but healing is possible. It begins by knowing you do not have to figure it out on your own. Some ways to begin include:

• Therapy
  Working with a therapist who understands CPTSD can help you explore what you have been through without retraumatizing yourself in the process. Trauma-informed therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or somatic approaches can support you in processing unresolved memories and reconnecting with your body.

• Building a support system
  Finding people who feel safe—whether that’s one close friend, a group, or chosen family—can help reduce the sense of being alone in your pain. Community, in any form, is healing.

• Intentional self-care
  When you have lived with chronic trauma, even small acts of care can feel difficult. Start wherever you can. A walk, a nourishing meal, a pause to breathe. These are not luxuries. They are small, powerful ways of reclaiming your space in the world.

• Practice self-compassion
  The healing process is rarely linear. There will be setbacks. You may revisit the same pain again and again, each time with slightly more capacity to hold it. Try not to rush yourself. You are doing something that is both brave and deeply difficult.

Therapy Can Help

If you are wondering whether CPTSD is part of your story, or if you are simply looking for a place to begin untangling some of the pain you carry, we are here. Our approach to healing is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and the belief that you are not broken—you are doing your best to live through what you were never meant to face alone.

You do not have to keep holding it all by yourself.