Conditions · Trauma
Complex PTSD — PTSD UK overview
C-PTSD: how it differs from PTSD, where the ICD-11 diagnosis came from, and what treatment looks like.
PTSD UK8 min read
Complex PTSD is recognized in ICD-11 (the WHO's diagnostic system) but not formally in DSM-5. PTSD UK's explainer is the clearest plain-English overview of what C-PTSD is, how it differs from PTSD, and how it overlaps with conditions like BPD.
Treatment is typically phased — stabilization, then trauma processing, then integration — and longer than for single-event PTSD.
Mental Hum's library is a curated index of authoritative third-party resources. The summary above is our own framing; the full information lives at the source.
A note on this article
Mental Hum publishes general education, not medical advice. If something here reflects your own experience, please consider speaking to a clinician. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.