{"id":10993,"date":"2022-05-16T11:52:20","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T18:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/?p=10993"},"modified":"2022-05-16T11:52:20","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T18:52:20","slug":"c-ptsd-and-the-survivor-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.breakingcodesilence.org\/c-ptsd-and-the-survivor-community\/","title":{"rendered":"C-PTSD and the Survivor Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

C-PTSD and the Survivor Community<\/b><\/p>\n

Catherine O\u2019Sullivan<\/span><\/p>\n

Most people are familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, an anxiety disorder that can occur after an event such as a car accident or a natural disaster.\u00a0 Although not enough large-scale research exists around this area, we know many survivors of the Troubled Teen Industry have been clinically diagnosed with PTSD. In 2020, Oliva Stull published <\/span>An Exploratory Study on Adult Survivors of the Troubled Teen Industry\u2019s Therapeutic Boarding Schools and Wilderness Programs<\/span><\/i><\/a> which included data from an open-ended survey, as well as quantitative assessments of trauma. In her study, Olivia found that out of thirty one individuals that completed the full survey, twenty participants reported having a professionally-obtained Acute Stress or PTSD diagnosis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She details, \u201cThe majority of participants indicated they now struggle with mental health issues as a direct result of being enrolled in a TTI program. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was most commonly cited, and was frequently attributed to the abuse they experienced. Qualitative data regarding PTSD symptoms is corroborated by the quantitative data gathered. Although this 193 sample as a whole did not meet the full diagnostic criteria for a PTSD \u2018diagnosis,\u2019 average scores neared the clinical cutoff in all criterion clusters.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She also noted that survivors felt that therapists serving their population should have knowledge of trauma and appropriate PTSD treatment. While it is clear that PTSD remains an important diagnosis for many survivors, there has been a new term being used with more regularity in regards to this specific population: C-PTSD.<\/span><\/p>\n

C-PTSD is a closely related condition known as <\/span>complex<\/span><\/i> post-traumatic stress disorder that may result from repeated trauma over months or years. It is now being widely recognized by doctors; however, it is not yet recognized in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Unlike PTSD, which can develop regardless of what age the trauma occurred, C-PTSD is typically the result of\u00a0childhood trauma.<\/span><\/p>\n

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is linked to repeated trauma and involves symptoms, such as difficulty regulating emotions, episodes of dissociation, and trouble maintaining healthy relationships, while PTSD can occur from just a single event. <\/span>The types of long-term traumatic events that can cause C-PTSD include:<\/span> childhood abuse, neglect, and torture. Complex PTSD also generally results from the abuser having been someone close to you, or someone you continue to have to see or interact with on a regular basis. When we start to think of the transport programs hired by parents and the choice parents made to put their children into troubled teen programs, some of these indicators begin to align.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does C-PTSD trauma \u201clook like\u201d?<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Having nightmares or flashbacks.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Avoiding situations or activities, such as large crowds or driving, that remind you of the traumatic event. This also includes keeping yourself preoccupied to avoid thinking about the event.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Losing control over your emotions, which can manifest as explosive anger, persistent sadness, depression, and suicidal thoughts.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Viewing yourself in a negative light. You may feel helpless, guilty, or ashamed.<\/span> You might have a sense of being completely different from other people.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Your relationships may suffer due to difficulties trusting others and a negative self-view. You may avoid relationships or develop unhealthy relationships because that is what you knew in your past.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Disconnecting from yourself (depersonalization) and the world around you. You may even forget or block out your trauma. <\/span>\n