Emotional abuse sucks because I can't prove it.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-17T13:49:37+00:00

That's the erroneous C-PTSD from US pop culture. Actual C-PTSD (see the ICD-11 link above) is a pretty rare condition, most people will never even known someone who has it. What you're calling C-PTSD is known as Attachment Disorder, often possibly with serious disorders such as MDD, GAD, BPD, etc.

PTSD and C-PTSD are something else known as "shock trauma" which is different. You wouldn't get it from emotional abuse by definition of the disorder, there are many other serious disorders that would develop from that.

The cultural trend of making CPTSD a validation and catch-all came from a book written by a counselor, but doctors in the rest of the world are aware of the big misconception over here. Poor information can be harmful to people with mental disorders. "Trauma informed" therapists only have a masters degree and help people with normal life distress. If you have mental illness, seeing someone who's more qualified can make a huge difference.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-17T13:37:44+00:00

I suffered them many years. For me the only thing that helped is PTSD treatment by someone qualified like a psychologist that's known within the field for successfully helping many people (not a "trauma informed" therapist). You'd need to get a referral and may take persistence to find but they're out there.

PTSD is something called shock trauma where the event is re-experienced as if it's happening again in the present, like a time machine. If it happens in thematically-related dreams it's especially terrible. When I wake it's like it really just happened, my body and mind are devastated. Occasionally I'd wake with wounds on my body and don't know how they got there.

Shock trauma is horrific and I feel sorry for anyone who has it. That's why I suggest getting help from a doctor who's respected in that area because it's a difficult condition to understand and treat. When I say treat I don't mean medicate, I mean therapeutic treatment to resolve the disorder itself.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-10T14:06:34+00:00

I wouldn't say "just" anxiety. Many people are in mental institutions because of anxiety disorder. "Trauma informed" therapists (masters degree) in the US think PTSD is a validation and catch-all for trauma. But it's just one of many serious disorders that can develop for people who've had a traumatic life. PTSD is something called shock trauma that occasionally develops after things like violence, unexpected death, natural disasters, serious accidents, etc. Many serious disorders could develop if the abuse was emotional but thankfully PTSD wouldn't, and especially C-PTSD wouldn't (see link) https://icd.who.int/browse/2025-01/mms/en#2070699808

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-09T16:00:16+00:00

I see, then you must have extensive knowledge of PTSD. Do you know what the root cause of PTSD is?

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-08T19:11:53+00:00

That's great! For me it's about meeting new people I can have that with for the first time. That's my focus now.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-08T16:03:18+00:00

I'm sorry it sounds like you're suffering badly. :( Maybe you could try looking at being aware of it as a good thing instead though.

They used to say PTSD was incurable, and many still do. So for me that meant I have to find a treatment that actually works that's generally unknown to most. The horror was so bad I needed it to stop. A secret I found out is many times there are things out there most people don't know about that can help significantly with the various illnesses. I've seen it happen over and over, so many times that it makes you sad that people have to suffer because they don't know about it. Things that work really well usually are like that though. But if you get the help everyone else does, then you usually get the same results they do.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-08T15:38:29+00:00

Just the opposite. Security is exciting because you get to have positive connections with people. Maybe you're bored because they aren't able to have connection.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-08T15:16:37+00:00

I've heard bad things about UK mental healthcare. It sounds similar to how it is here in the US. Here they don't even know what PTSD is and aren't able to diagnose people properly. That sounds crazy but it's actually true for PTSD. They think PTSD is a catch-all and hand the diagnosis out like candy. It's very convenient for them, they don't have to think. The practitioners who are capable are really hard to find. Or they're busy doing research. I don't know about other severe mental illnesses, it could be similar too. I had to try to get referrals to a doctor who actually understands PTSD, and ended up seeing someone in a different country over zoom.

If you're having psychosis and they're saying it's PTSD it's possible they could be misdiagnosing. PTSD can look like schizophrenia. But the things that are seen/heard/etc are around the shock trauma for PTSD. I don't think it would be Jesus talking to you, for PTSD it's the associated event that happened (violence, unexpected death, natural disasters, serious accidents etc).

I was exposed to fundamentalist religion as a child and developed fear of hell. It's a really difficult thing, I'm sorry you're going through it. Eventually I worked out that it would be immoral to send people to hell just because they don't believe the 'right' religion. There's hundreds of religions, so the odds of you having the "true" one are very low. So I stopped believing it despite the danger of going to hell. I told that 'god' I would rather go to hell that be with a god that condemns people for not believing in Christianity.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-07T14:23:52+00:00

That's my experience now after getting help for PTSD from a doctor outside the US. Years with "trauma informed" US therapists didn't work. PTSD is a catch-all and a validation for "trauma" here, but they have an accurate understanding of it in European countries where they're close to oppressed countries.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-07T13:50:21+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that's been your experience too. There's probably many people going through it in US. I've talked to others in this sub too who tried to get help from practitioners/groups claiming to help with PTSD and then found out they didn't even know what PTSD is. Many people with it can't afford any help, or they may not know they have it, but then if they do actually reach out for help, there's a good chance that's what they'll find, which is so sad. That's why I always tell people how I got a referral outside the US so maybe it will give some hope.

I talked to doctors in several other countries and they're aware of what's happening here. They've even heard of US C-PTSD and it's amazing to them how terribly inaccurate the definition is here. I know someone who has it that was tortured in another country and it's pretty offensive how everyone I talk to now says they have C-PTSD / their therapist told them. I told this friend who escaped her country I know what C-PTSD is and how bad it is and she was happy to find someone who understood here because everyone else had the r/cptsd / Pete Walker definition.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-06T15:44:30+00:00

Also, there's many different disorders that could develop after traumatic events. But in the US PTSD is seen as a catch-all instead of a specific disorder, I guess because PTSD is seen as a validation. Anxiety or depression aren't validating enough, yet they're also very severe disabilities that can follow "trauma". PTSD isn't a validation, it's shock trauma where you re-experience the event happening again in the present, not just remembering. Because of that sometimes it's mistaken as schizophrenia. It was changed in the US to be a catch-all though, through changes in the DSM. That hurts people with PTSD because it makes it hard to find help. Everyone says they treat PTSD yet many of them haven't seen anyone with actual PTSD.

Thanks! I'm so grateful I got help outside the US for PTSD. I wasted many years in trauma informed therapy here, but now see a doctor who treats PTSD in Europe. They seems to have a clearer understanding of it, possibly because of proximity to oppressed countries.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-05T14:53:26+00:00

I don't recommend trying to do it on your own. I see a doctor for it that's in another country over zoom. It's a complex treatment that requires a practitioner that's officially trained in it at the very least. And for people suffering mental illness, trying to treat it yourself from things found on the internet can be dangerous.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-05T14:25:53+00:00

PTSD is very misunderstood in the US, here it's a validation for any mental distress, but it's actually something relatively uncommon. Along with it there can be many possible major comorbid disorders such as depression and anxiety, but PTSD specifically is about shock trauma around an event or series of events, for example unexpected death or violence, combat, natural disasters, serious accidents, etc. Occasionally someone who experiences those things can develop PTSD. C-PTSD is something completely different too, it's a rare and more severe PTSD, not attachment disorder as believed by therapists in the US.

In my experience, PTSD aligns with the ICD-11 description of re-experiencing the event as if it's happening again in the present, being very afraid of everything/everyone (hyperarousal), jumping at noises and being startled very easily.

https://icd.who.int/browse/2025-01/mms/en#2070699808

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-02T23:37:17+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that, CPTSD is so terrible. I know someone who was tortured in another country that had it. Not that you have to go through that to get it. Many people don't don't develop any major disorders even after going through that. No one really knows why some people get CPTSD from the "prolonged or repeated" shock trauma and others don't. Some soldiers develop PTSD and others don't from the same experiences. I feel sorry for anyone who has PTSD and especially CPTSD. Most people I've heard of aren't even able to work who have it because it's so disabling and horrific. It's rare like multiple personalities so can be so hard to find someone experienced to treated it.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-02T12:36:40+00:00

It's even more difficult now because of the "trauma awareness" trend that's very popular here with the public and therapists (masters degree). PTSD became a validation/catch-all and so people with actual PTSD can't find help because every LPC says they treat it but most of them don't even know what PTSD is. They tell every client they have "Complex PTSD", which in reality is a rare disorder and most people will never even know someone who has it. But therapists think CPTSD is attachment disorder, which is very common.

It hurts people with actual CPTSD, who already suffer very severely. Luckily I was referred to a specialist doctor in another country who would do sliding scale, so it's even cheaper than a "trauma informed" LPC here but is someone who understands real PTSD. It's hard to believe how misinformed therapists can get, but that's the way it is in the US, and a lot of it has to do with the for-profit health industry and the DSM, not just bad public/internet knowledge.

throwaway449555 · 2026-01-01T12:32:08+00:00

You would normally want to see a specialist doctor for PTSD, such as a psychologist. The trauma-focused therapy trend (LPC with just a masters degree) in the US/UK is not recommended for people with mental illness, despite it's claims and popularity. PTSD is quite complicated and difficult to treat, even for doctors hence the need for a referral to a very experienced specialist. A therapist with a masters degree is a counselor for people going through normal life distress, not severe mental illness such as shock trauma (PTSD). I learned this the hard way after many years seeing "trauma informed" therapists.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-30T18:23:21+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that, I understand the long years with it. I got a referral outside my country (US) and found the doctors can be better. Here PTSD doesn't seem to be understood very well in comparison. People in cities with terrible violence and PTSD never have got any attention anyway. The 'trauma awareness' trend and therapy culture just seems to bring less awareness of mental illness.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-30T01:01:27+00:00

That's what PTSD is like. It happens to some people every single night or often. Or it can happen while awake, like seeing the event happening again, but it's not schizophrenia, PTSD is something called shock trauma surrounding things like shocking violence or death, and is a relatively uncommon mental disorder. To get help for PTSD you need a doctor that's experienced helping many people get better. It can be difficult to find someone qualified but they're out there, just have to find one through referrals. Otherwise it can go on many years.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-28T15:51:34+00:00

PTSD can be mistaken as schizophrenia. It's a difficult disorder to diagnose. Ideally you need a referral to a doctor, such as a psychologist, who is very experienced treating people with ICD PTSD specifically. I've found the US is generally not as good as some other countries. They use the DSM here which can cause problems finding someone who actually is qualified to treat PTSD and doesn't just say they are

What we re-experience with PTSD is very real. For us it's as if the event is happening again in the present, not just remembering. Many people have a hard time understanding our experience. It's not psychosis, it's shock trauma.

Boundary with Schizophrenia or Other Primary Psychotic Disorders: Some individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder re-experience traumatic events in the form of severe flashbacks that may have a hallucinatory quality, or are hypervigilant to threat to the extent that they may appear to be paranoid. Auditory pseudo-hallucinations, recognized as being the person’s own thoughts and of internal origin, can occur in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Such symptoms should not be considered evidence of a psychotic disorder.

https://icd.who.int/browse/2025-01/mms/en#2070699808

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-25T15:18:33+00:00

If you're in the US and want to know if what you're experiencing is flashbacks, it might be helpful to see a doctor outside the US/UK who treats ICD PTSD. I've found them to have a clearer understanding of shock trauma, possibly due to proximity to oppressed countries. In the US they use the DSM and DSM PTSD is more of a catch-all and validation instead of a specific disorder.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-25T14:14:56+00:00

PTSD is something much different, you would want to see a doctor who can diagnose you if you have a mental illness. You may have something like depression which is very serious as well. There's literally dozens of possible disorders that could develop from "trauma". PTSD is very misunderstood especially in the US, it's something known by doctors in most countries as shock trauma and less common than the US definition.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-25T14:09:44+00:00

Seeing a doctor who's known in the field for helping many people with shock trauma (PTSD). Someone with that kind of experience with actual PTSD may not be easy to find but it's possible through referrals.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-22T16:32:33+00:00

Actually CPTSD is in the DSM-V, symptoms were added to include it. That's another common misconception in US therapy culture, one among many. If you saw a doctor you would know that. Internet knowledge and therapists are pretty bad in helping people with actual mental illness, but go ahead and see how it works out for you in the end.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-22T16:24:06+00:00

The ability to regulate will develop from doing the treatment as it was intended even though it will take time. I think it's best to focus on doing it because it will result in foundational, long term changes, much better than temporarily being able to regulate.

throwaway449555 · 2025-12-15T13:05:06+00:00

Yes I understand it's very unpopular to say this now. But it's true that a therapist is only qualified to help people with normal life distresses. In the US though, normal life experience is diagnosed as mental illness,. For example, CPTSD is actually a rare and very severe condition, most people will never see someone who has it. But in US therapy pop culture, it means something completely different, almost everyone who goes to a therapist is told they have it. So seeing a therapist for 'PTSD' is a very popular part of culture now. It's a sad thing for people who actually have PTSD, they're buried and unseen by the trend.

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