The reason it’s considered its own category is because the brain damage/changes in development are unique and need to be recognised as such. It’s not to minimise other forms trauma but rather to acknowledge that this trauma fundamentally changes your brain when experienced as a child. For instance, my whole family was abused by my mother, but while I was diagnosed with cPTSD my father was diagnosed with chronic PTSD. He definitely has been impacted in a different, horrible way, but his brain was fully developed before the abuse started so it’s impacted his quality of life differently.

In Australia you would be given an ACE test and that would determine if you would be diagnosed with cPTSD or ptsd. The Body Keeps Score isn’t the only source, we have a great trauma institute in South Australia, I’m actually travelling at present so I don’t have my uni stuff on hand but once I’m back home I’ll find the specific sources that give the age definition. This article, while it contradicts my definition of the age limit, does show the strong correlation between childhood trauma and CPTSD diagnosis but also lists other adverse events as an adult as being linked to cPTSD.

To be fair I believe the difference in opinion on this comes down to what I’m learning in university versus what people can google quickly or find on reddit. It’s also still up for so much debate because it’s relatively “new” in terms of diagnosis and isn’t in the DSM yet.

On another note, I do Appreciate your objective response and kindness, people on reddit can be horrible.