CPTSD - Confused with aspects of the condition

[brightlight]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this topic.

I read recently that CPTSD is similar to bipolar and incorporates personality disorder - the article did say professionals are still debating exactly what is incorporated into CPTSD. I didn't like PD connotation as my dad was borderline and abused me and my brother was borderline and narcissistic and was extremely volatile and horrible to me. I did find the information on affect regulation helpful as it said if something upsets someone with CPTSD they can't identify the emotion, know why they are feeling this or what it reminds them of - they don't feel the emotion as sad or angry, it is just pain.

I found this incredibly powerful but I would say I can feel, upset/sad, angry, disappointed all at once and extreme emotional pain as well and it often takes a very very long time or at least some thinking as why I feel so strongly about triggers/EF.

Do other people feel like this? Are other people confused by what is incorporated in CPTSD? Do other people reject the personality disorder connotation in CPTSD?

I know some people think CPTSD and BPD are similar but I disagree with this and I think a good therapist would as well. This is not what I mean as regards to PD in CPTSD - I just mean in general terms.

[Blueberry]

This kind of topic comes up quite often here. Here's a brief summary of the difference between cptsd and BPD: https://www.outofthestorm.website/symptoms. I can't remember where exactly but I think on some thread there's a longer discussion on this.

There are some shared symptoms, but not all. cptsd is a stress disorder and bpd a personality disorder. There's also the problem that people with cptsd are sometimes misdiagnosed as having bpd. It's too late at night for me to write anymore on this.

[Three Roses]

Cptsd is caused from injury; repeated, intentional injury. It's not something a person is born with or develops over time with no discernable cause. So it is not a disorder.

Many health care professionals are ignorant about cptsd and how to treat it. In the past many of us have been misdiagnosed. Borderline and bipolar are a couple of common misdiagnoses.

Not everyone with cptsd has trouble expressing or identifying emotion, and so that cannot be a feature of cptsd.

[Kizzie]

   Some good points from TR and BB    . 

I would add that I'm not at all fond of the word "disorder" in CPTSD (nor "post" but that's an issue for another day), because there is a lot of stigma attached and it places the focus on us rather than on what happened to us.  I much prefer Relational Trauma Response because it highlights the fact that our symptoms (injuries) are a response to relational trauma.

[brightlight]

Thanks BB, TR and Kizzie for your insight into this.

I feel for me my emotions are intense and sometimes long lasting and as BB said in a previous post re work, this is coming from something else. I can identify them, just not where they come from without a lot of work.

Interesting point Kizzie 'post' - it certainly isn't as we are still living with it and 'disorder'. Personally I was not pleased when I got diagnosed with CPTSD as it is a horrible condition and I wish I didn't have it but relieved there is something out there professionals and others are trying to understand.

[Kizzie]

Totally get the relief and upset when diagnosed Brightlight.  It lets us name what we're dealing with but also makes it clear how impactful our trauma was and is.

[Three Roses]

Totally get the relief and upset when diagnosed Brightlight.  It lets us name what we're dealing with but also makes it clear how impactful our trauma was and is.

Me too.