CPTSD/Disorders of extreme stress not otherwise specified

CPTSD used to be known as DESNOS, or Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified. It’s not the same as PTSD or BPD. I’ll explain…

Borderline Personality Disorder is a personality disorder developed from prolonged events in childhood. You may have been abused, bullied, psychologically manipulated, encountered multiple traumatic events, experienced domestic violence, and this created an adult who had to grow up with these childhood wounds carved in their souls that shaped their personalities. It’s a type of narcissism, but narcissists with empathy. The intense inner fear may prelude them to the point they engage in self-sabotage and risky behaviours. They will change their hair, their looks, their hobbies, fall in love easily and have emotional instability in that relationship because of the fear they feel inside, their relationships would almost always end up in chaos because they have to deal with painful emotions so sublime that the only way they know how to cope is to be emotional. Some may get multiple tattoos, or shop excessively. Some will try to make multiple police reports to get people arrested – mostly against the perpetrator who hurt them in some way. It’s a painful illness which I think should be renamed Pervasive Trauma Disorder. Anyone with BPD, CPTSD, ASPD, and NPD should be assessed for ADHD too.

I was diagnosed with DESNOS many years ago, although it’s now re-named CPTSD. I have PTSD on top, but I will come to that. It’s a difficult story to tell so anything I express about my own interpersonal trauma will not be mentioning names or places. Some memories or events will be altered in an environmental context to protect the identities of others.

This is the story of my life and how I ended up with Complex PTSD.