What is the difference between PTSD and Complex PTSD?

PTSD results from witnessing or experiencing a single traumatic event. This could be something like a car accident, a natural disaster, a sexual assault, a wartime atrocity, or an act of violence.

CPTSD results from long-term, repeated trauma. CPTSD often develops in those who have been abused by someone in a caregiving or protective role, often in children. Examples include survivors of ongoing childhood sexual assault by a relative or caregiver and survivors of human trafficking. Other long-term traumas that can lead to CPTSD include (but aren’t limited to) childhood neglect, ongoing/long-term physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, living in a war zone, or being a prisoner of war.