Conditions · Trauma
Complex PTSD — the prolonged-trauma presentation
PTSD UK's plain-language explainer on CPTSD, the ICD-11 diagnosis for trauma that is sustained and inescapable.
PTSD UK9 min read
Complex PTSD was formally added to the ICD-11 in 2018 to describe the additional symptom clusters (disturbances in self-organization, affect regulation, and relational functioning) that often follow prolonged, repeated trauma — childhood abuse, captivity, trafficking, prolonged domestic violence.
PTSD UK's explainer is the clearest free overview in English and a useful introduction to the phased-treatment model (stabilization, processing, reintegration) that specialists most often recommend.
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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.