Individual Counseling For Complex PTSD

Individual counseling at Take Charge, Inc. can help heal the deep psychological damage of complex PTSD, or C-PTSD. The current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) does not distinguish PTSD from C-PTSD, but the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases) does identify them as separate conditions. While PTSD and C-PTSD share most of the same symptoms, there are some specific traits of C-PTSD that are not seen in regular PTSD.

What Is The Difference?

To be diagnosed with PTSD, one must have difficulty functioning due to the following symptoms that last for at least several weeks:

• Nightmares or flashbacks in which the fear of the traumatic event is vividly re-experienced
• Avoidance of activities, situations, or memories of the traumatic event
• Hypervigilance, or being easily startled because of an ongoing perceived threat despite the traumatic event being over

Someone with PTSD may also have other symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping, concentration and memory problems, inappropriate rage or anger, symptoms of depression, and even suicidal thoughts.

Someone with complex PTSD, according to the ICD-11, typically has the same core symptoms of PTSD as above, but also has any or all of the following symptoms that are persistent and severe in nature:

• Difficulty controlling their emotions
• Feelings of worthlessness, failure, and inferiority
• Feelings of profound guilt and shame related to the traumatic event(s) that distorts their perspective of themselves and their trauma
• Problems sustaining relationships and getting close to others
• Periods where they do not remember what happened to them
• Periods of feeling separated from themselves and reality, called disassociation

These symptoms all combined can lead to significant problems functioning in every aspect of a person’s life, including personally, with family, socially, and at school or work.

Treating C-PTSD In Individual Counseling

C-PTSD is believed to be caused by repeated serious trauma over a long period of time. The trauma frequently occurs at very vulnerable times such as early childhood and adolescence. These formative events can create lifelong challenges and need to be addressed in individual counseling.

It is important for those affected by trauma to recognize and understand how their experience has shaped them. Understanding that their symptoms have an underlying cause can help them be more compassionate toward themselves and open to treatments that can help them.

Victims of trauma must be reprogrammed in a way, learning new ways of responding to stressors. Accomplishing this requires complex and sequenced treatment in individual counseling.

People suffering from complex PTSD often struggle to trust others due to the abuse they have suffered. It is critical to find a mental health professional like Terri Dichiser who is skilled in working with C-PTSD in order to develop some level of trust and emotional comfort

For more information about individual counseling and trauma-informed therapy in Johnson County, KS, call Take Charge, Inc. at (913) 239-8255. To schedule an appointment, click here.