**Trigger warning** What are your experiences with a Complex PTSD diagnosis and treatment?

Good morning @Phoenix_Rising

Thank you for the links. There's great information on the Blueknot pages, I do know about them and they have helped me heaps along the way.

This last week has been particularly bad for me. I think reality after being in hospital is starting to hit. Not fit to deal with all the judgements, pre-conceptions...living with all the fake stuff... living with my own shame, as I feel really ashamed again, a realisation that was gently led by my therapist. Living with the labels and not fitting in. Also the lack of support for C-PTSD. No I'm not a war vet, nor was I in the services. I struggle to have a diagnosis that is so close to in my eyes, really strong adults being hit by trauma (strong because for me people in army, police, ambo, firies are strong) and me. And I don't compare, it's just that I was tiny and I don't understand how people can use the same label for tiny people and big people. And I know it's stupid, it's only a label, but whenever I want to find anything on the network, a service, support... that's what I see. Big people, as if we little people don't matter, don't exist, are not important. I've also struggled with support services and I feel worthless anyway, so it doesn't help when they make me feel like that. I know people are only trying to do their job, but their inquisitive nature / direspect goes a long way. I found out my case manager is not even trained for mental health. Big people help big people, not little people.

I am just overwhelmed, so overwhelmed by the real world. I felt much safer in hospital and I felt like little people mattered there.

Hi @Former-Member,

I'm glad you've been able to get some support from Blueknot. When I was searching for TTT (therapist take thirteen), I got a list of names from Blueknot. When I googled them, it turned out that almost all of them were counsellors or social workers rather than psychologists. I found that really interesting. It kind-of suggested to me that perhaps psychologists are lagging behind in the area of complex trauma. This definitely fits with the fact that in my entire psychology degree no one ever mentioned complex trauma!!!

I'm not entirely sure that any people really matter, Kirin. It seems to me that people only really matter to their family and close friends. Those of us who have lucked out in that department are pretty screwed I think. I know I don't matter to any services. I mean, I've just been banned from calling the HC even though they have acknowledged to me that they recognise this is harmful for me. I'm a waste of resources. When resources are limited, it just doesn't make sense to invest too heavily in a high-needs individual. Humans are not an endangered species. There are 7.5 billion of us on the planet. It sucks, it really does, but please know that it isn't just you who doesn't matter. None of us matter. I mean, according to google, 151600 people die across the planet each day. How many of those deaths did you mourn today? None of us matter, except (if we are lucky) to a handful of people. I know I don't matter to anyone. I am invisible, I am worthless.

I super hope you are able to find a mental health professional who gets C-PTSD, Kirin. I am so very VERY grateful I found TTT. It is so so SO hard to keep searching and being re-traumatized in the process, but if you can finally find the right person, it is so so SO worth it!

Hi @Phoenix_Rising and good idea to revive this thread. I havent seen it before.

I read that link you provided about the differences between PTSD and C-PTSD. I have been diagnosed with C-PTSD, although I dont normally say that in general discussions here on the forums. Mainly because it is not officially recognised in many circles. But reading that article from BlueKnot is interesting that they expect the DSM may be reviewed to officially recognise C-PTSD come June 2018.

Sherry

Hi @Former-Member,

I think you will find it's the ICD that is coming out in 2018. This is the book used in place of the DSM-V in many parts of the world. I think the reason Australia is so wedded to the DSM-V is because we like to follow America! The ICD is used much more in Europe. http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/revision/en/

The DSM-5 only came out in 2013. There won't be a new version for quite a while yet!

Oh, sorry @Phoenix_Rising, yes you're right.

@Former-Member I wish I wasn't! I think a golden opportunity was missed in the publication of the DSM-V (and I know I'm not alone in thinking that). If you ever get the chance to read up on how each edition of the DSM is developed, it is very depressing. It really highlights how much mental health diagnoses are more a political thing than a health thing.