Complex PTSD can be treated with the same strategies as PTSD, but many experts believe that care has to go beyond this and focus on helping victims re-establish control, power, and self-identity. This can be done through therapy, empowering activities, and healthful, supportive and safe relationships.

PTSD treatments that can help patients with complex PTSD include trauma-focused therapies. Exposure therapy, for instance, helps patients process trauma by facing the memories of it in a safe space and practicing healthy coping mechanisms. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) uses eye movements guided by the therapist to process traumatic memories, reframe them, and change negative reactions to them.

Standard behavioral therapies can also help PTSD and C-PTSD patients. Behavioral therapists teach coping mechanisms, help patients recognize and change their negative thoughts, and teach patients how to be mindful and to address symptoms and feelings as they arise.

C-PTSD patients may also benefit from medications, although there are none that are specifically approved to treat PTSD. Anti-anxiety medications, antipsychotics, and antidepressants can help manage specific symptoms or co-occurring disorders that patients struggle with alongside or because of the C-PTSD.

Complex PTSD is still not fully understood by mental health professionals, but it is increasingly recognized as a real condition that needs to be viewed, diagnosed, and managed separately from PTSD and other mental illnesses. If you or someone you care about has been through repeated trauma and are struggling to cope, it’s important to be screened and diagnosed so a PTSD treatment plan can be developed to help you heal and move on with your life.