What is CPTSD and do I have it?
Hi, I’m Sarah! I’m a Manchester based psychotherapist, working online via Zoom throughout the UK and Europe.
I specialise in helping people recover from childhood trauma, emotional neglect, and CPTSD (also known as complex trauma).
If you’re searching for information on CPTSD, it can feel confusing. Many people don’t even know where to start. This guide will explain the basics, common experiences, and how therapy can help.
What is trauma?
Trauma is any experience that feels overwhelming or unsafe—whether that’s a direct threat to your life, bodily integrity, or sense of safety. Trauma is subjective: what feels overwhelming for you may not affect someone else in the same way.
Children are especially vulnerable. They usually have little independence, and when abuse or neglect comes from their own family, they often have no way to escape. That’s why childhood trauma can leave deep, lasting effects.
What is CPTSD?
CPTSD, or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is trauma that comes from repeated or chronic experiences, often starting in childhood. This might include emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, or living in unsafe, unpredictable environments.
While CPTSD is recognised in the ICD-11, it isn’t a separate diagnosis in the DSM-5 in the US—it’s grouped under PTSD. That doesn’t make it less real, though. Many clients feel understood for the first time when they see their experiences reflected in the term CPTSD.
What CPTSD looks like in daily life
People with CPTSD often experience:
Emotional flashbacks – sudden waves of fear, shame, or anger that feel overwhelming and out of proportion to the situation. Feeling like you’re overreacting but not knowing why
Dissociation – zoning out, spacing out, or feeling disconnected from your body and emotions
Relationship difficulties – trouble trusting others, being overly cautious or overly invested, or repeating unhealthy patterns
Feeling bad about yourself – shame, guilt, feelings of worthlessness, or self-sabotage
Difficulty with emotions – trouble recognising, expressing, or dealing with emotions
Sleep problems – nightmares, vivid dreams, or difficulty falling or staying asleep
Physical symptoms – chronic pain, digestive issues, or fatigue that can be linked to long term stress
Even though these experiences can feel overwhelming, understanding them is the first step toward healing.
Do I need a diagnosis to get therapy?
No. You do not need an official diagnosis to start therapy. Some people find it validating to get a diagnosis, while others feel trapped by it. Either way, therapy can help you understand your experiences, manage your symptoms, and regain control of your life. Most of my clients don’t have CPTSD diagnoses before starting therapy.
Finding a therapist for CPTSD
Not all therapists specialise in trauma. Look for therapists who describe themselves as:
Trauma-informed
Experienced with emotional abuse or dysfunctional backgrounds
Skilled in complex trauma or relational trauma
Specialist training and experience matter because therapy for CPTSD often involves unpacking patterns, mapping triggers, and learning practical coping strategies.
How therapy can help
My approach is straight forward and collaborative. Many clients have grown up in environments where the people they should have trusted hurt them repeatedly. In therapy, I:
Help clients translate and understand their own reactions
Make sense of other people’s behaviours
Map patterns from the past that are replaying in the present
Provide feedback and guidance so clients can spot triggers early
This doesn’t stop flashbacks overnight, but it gives you more reference points, making them shorter, less intense, and further apart. Over time, confusion, shame, and self-blame decrease. Clients also learn to reconnect with their feelings and respond more skillfully in relationships and daily life.
Next steps
If you think you might be experiencing CPTSD, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Therapy can help you understand your experiences, reduce distress, and develop practical skills to regain control over your life.
Book a free 15-minute call with me to see how I can help—no need to pick up the phone, just click here.