Ask the Therapist
Complex PTSD
I have recently come to view my self as
experiencing traumatic stress reactions in many social settings. I have
been diagnosed with depression, attention deficit, possibly narcissism, possibly
BPD, and have frequently been attributed with motivations that I don't have.
I'm wondering: Do the symptoms of traumatic stress frequently look like the
symptoms of other disorders? A chimera, so to speak? I realize they
may co-exist, so please focus on the issue, Can traumatic stress disorder be
mistaken for other disorders because the behavior is so similar?
Yes. What you are referring to is called Complex PTSD. It is a PTSD variant that manifests symptom profiles similar to and mimicking Borderline Personality Disorder. BPD, in turn, supposes a pre-disposition to depression, anxiety, narcissism, and a social interaction style that looks a lot like ADD or ADHD (and, to be frank, as far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out on the whole concept of Adult ADD). C-PTSD generally manifests in persons who have experienced a traumatic events whereby their personal boundaries have been violated, like sexual abuse or a violent mugging. That is not an absolute, it can also apply to symbolic situations of the same type, like ongoing psychological abuse that deflects the development of a strong sense of identity.
