advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
Anonymous46653
Guest
Anonymous46653 has no updates. Edit
 
Posts: n/a
Default Aug 08, 2019 at 01:03 PM
  #1
I just wanted to share this because there has been a lot of discussion on whether C-PTSD is actually a diagnosis: Although, it is not in the DSM, it is in the ICD-10 manual now. So, many providers are using this as a diagnosis because the ICD-10 has a code for it.
  Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
FreddieM, Out There, SlumberKitty

advertisement
sarahsweets
Threadtastic Postaholic
 
sarahsweets's Avatar
sarahsweets has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2018
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 6,006 (SuperPoster!)
5 yr Member
192 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Aug 08, 2019 at 03:04 PM
  #2
Quote:
Originally Posted by Going Ballistic View Post
I just wanted to share this because there has been a lot of discussion on whether C-PTSD is actually a diagnosis: Although, it is not in the DSM, it is in the ICD-10 manual now. So, many providers are using this as a diagnosis because the ICD-10 has a code for it.
Complex PTSD
Many traumatic events (e.g., car accidents, natural disasters, etc.) are of time-limited duration. However, in some cases people experience chronic trauma that continues or repeats for months or years at a time. The current PTSD diagnosis often does not fully capture the severe psychological harm that occurs with prolonged, repeated trauma. People who experience chronic trauma often report additional symptoms alongside formal PTSD symptoms, such as changes in their self-concept and the way they adapt to stressful events.

Dr. Judith Herman of Harvard University suggests that a new diagnosis, Complex PTSD, is needed to describe the symptoms of long-term trauma (1). Another name sometimes used to describe the cluster of symptoms referred to as Complex PTSD is Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS)(2). A work group has also proposed a diagnosis of Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) for children and adolescents who experience chronic traumatic events (3).

Because results from the DSM-IV Field Trials indicated that 92% of individuals with Complex PTSD/DESNOS also met diagnostic criteria for PTSD, Complex PTSD was not added as a separate diagnosis classification (4). However, cases that involve prolonged, repeated trauma may indicate a need for special treatment considerations.

Hide Full Article
In This Article

What types of trauma are associated with Complex PTSD?
What additional symptoms are seen in Complex PTSD?
Treatment for Complex PTSD
References
What types of trauma are associated with Complex PTSD?
During long-term traumas, the victim is generally held in a state of captivity, physically or emotionally, according to Dr. Herman (1). In these situations the victim is under the control of the perpetrator and unable to get away from the danger.

Examples of such traumatic situations include:

Concentration camps
Prisoner of War camps
Prostitution brothels
Long-term domestic violence
Long-term child physical abuse
Long-term child sexual abuse
Organized child exploitation rings
Back to Top

What additional symptoms are seen in Complex PTSD?
An individual who experienced a prolonged period (months to years) of chronic victimization and total control by another may also experience the following difficulties:

Emotional Regulation. May include persistent sadness, suicidal thoughts, explosive anger, or inhibited anger.
Consciousness. Includes forgetting traumatic events, reliving traumatic events, or having episodes in which one feels detached from one's mental processes or body (dissociation).
Self-Perception. May include helplessness, shame, guilt, stigma, and a sense of being completely different from other human beings.
Distorted Perceptions of the Perpetrator. Examples include attributing total power to the perpetrator, becoming preoccupied with the relationship to the perpetrator, or preoccupied with revenge.
Relations with Others. Examples include isolation, distrust, or a repeated search for a rescuer.
One's System of Meanings. May include a loss of sustaining faith or a sense of hopelessness and despair.
What other difficulties are faced by those who experienced chronic trauma?
Because people who experience chronic trauma often have additional symptoms not included in the PTSD diagnosis, clinicians may misdiagnose PTSD or only diagnose a personality disorder consistent with some symptoms, such as Borderline, Dependent, or Masochistic Personality Disorder.

Care should be taken during assessment to understand whether symptoms are characteristic of PTSD or if the survivor has co-occurring PTSD and personality disorder. Clinicians should assess for PTSD specifically, keeping in mind that chronic trauma survivors may experience any of the following difficulties:

Survivors may avoid thinking and talking about trauma-related topics because the feelings associated with the trauma are often overwhelming.
Survivors may use alcohol or other substances as a way to avoid and numb feelings and thoughts related to the trauma.
Survivors may engage in self-mutilation and other forms of self-harm.
Survivors who have been abused repeatedly are sometimes mistaken as having a "weak character" or are unjustly blamed for the symptoms they experience as a result of victimization.
Back to Top

Treatment for Complex PTSD
Standard evidence-based treatments for PTSD are effective for treating PTSD that occurs following chronic trauma. At the same time, treating Complex PTSD often involves addressing interpersonal difficulties and the specific symptoms mentioned above. Dr. Herman contends that recovery from Complex PTSD requires restoration of control and power for the traumatized person. Survivors can become empowered by healing relationships which create safety, allow for remembrance and mourning, and promote reconnection with everyday life (1).

__________________
"I carried a watermelon?"

President of the no F's given society.
sarahsweets is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
starfishing
Member
starfishing has no updates.
 
Member Since: May 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 466
5 yr Member
Default Aug 08, 2019 at 08:28 PM
  #3
I didn't think CPTSD was in ICD 10. Are you sure that changed?

I don't really care whether it's in the DSM or not, honestly. The DSM isn't the be all end all of reality and accurate diagnoses, and CPTSD pretty clearly exists no matter what. My one frustration with CPTSD is when people use it interchangeably with BPD... Plenty of people experience one but not the other.

__________________
I don't do hugs.
starfishing is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Anonymous46653
Guest
Anonymous46653 has no updates. Edit
 
Posts: n/a
Default Aug 08, 2019 at 09:42 PM
  #4
Quote:
Originally Posted by starfishing View Post
I didn't think CPTSD was in ICD 10. Are you sure that changed?

I don't really care whether it's in the DSM or not, honestly. The DSM isn't the be all end all of reality and accurate diagnoses, and CPTSD pretty clearly exists no matter what. My one frustration with CPTSD is when people use it interchangeably with BPD... Plenty of people experience one but not the other.
I have just seen it in the ICD-10 manual and my psychiatrist read it from his ICD 10 manual awhile back. Currently, providers in my area are using this diagnoses due to it being in there.
  Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
starfishing
Member
starfishing has no updates.
 
Member Since: May 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 466
5 yr Member
Default Aug 08, 2019 at 10:23 PM
  #5
Quote:
Originally Posted by Going Ballistic View Post
I have just seen it in the ICD-10 manual and my psychiatrist read it from his ICD 10 manual awhile back. Currently, providers in my area are using this diagnoses due to it being in there.
Last I looked it was possible to specifically diagnose chronic PTSD in ICD 10 but not complex PTSD (CPTSD). Maybe it's changed . I'll look it up or ask a coworker at some point if I remember.

__________________
I don't do hugs.
starfishing is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Anonymous46653
Guest
Anonymous46653 has no updates. Edit
 
Posts: n/a
Default Aug 09, 2019 at 12:14 AM
  #6
Quote:
Originally Posted by starfishing View Post
Last I looked it was possible to specifically diagnose chronic PTSD in ICD 10 but not complex PTSD (CPTSD). Maybe it's changed . I'll look it up or ask a coworker at some point if I remember.
Again, I saw it in there as Complex PTSD, and my psychiatrist read it out to me as he has a manual of his own. He has certainly submitted insurance forms diagnosing patients with Complex PTSD because of the ICD 10.
  Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
starfishing
Member
starfishing has no updates.
 
Member Since: May 2017
Location: USA
Posts: 466
5 yr Member
Default Aug 09, 2019 at 07:20 PM
  #7
I don't think CPTSD is in ICD 10 separately from PTSD. What's the code for it?

The ICD 10 criteria for PTSD are more inclusive of CPTSD than the DSM criteria are, but it doesn't have its own entry. It will in ICD 11, once that comes into use.

__________________
I don't do hugs.
starfishing is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:56 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.