CPTSD • Normal Like Peter / Church of NORMAL
Education • Tools • Compassion

CPTSD 101 — It’s NORMAL to Heal

Complex PTSD (CPTSD) is a trauma response to prolonged, repeated harm. This page offers plain-language education, gentle tools, and links to our CPTSD-tagged blog posts. You’re not a diagnosis — you’re a person.

What is CPTSD? Contact Blu (if you’re triggered)

What is CPTSD?

A short, non-clinical overview with links at the bottom for deeper reading.

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Core idea: CPTSD describes the effects of prolonged, repeated, or inescapable trauma (e.g., chronic childhood abuse, domestic violence, captivity). Common features include the usual PTSD symptoms plus persistent difficulties with self-concept, relationships, and emotion regulation.
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Recognition: The World Health Organization’s ICD-11 includes Complex PTSD as a diagnosis distinct from PTSD. In U.S. practice, the DSM-5-TR does not list CPTSD as a separate disorder; many clinicians chart PTSD and note complex trauma features. See references.
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Good news: Healing is possible. Evidence-based approaches (e.g., trauma-focused therapy, skills for regulation and relationships, safe support) help the nervous system learn safety again. This page is informational and not medical advice.

CPTSD vs PTSD vs BPD vs Bipolar

Different maps for different terrains. These summaries are simplified — always talk with a licensed clinician you trust.

  • Origin: Prolonged or repeated trauma, often in development or where escape was hard.
  • Core: All PTSD features plus “Disturbances in Self-Organization” (emotion regulation difficulty, negative self-concept, and relationship issues).
  • Treatment focus: Safety & stabilization → trauma processing (when ready) → integration, skills, and connection.

Note: ICD-11 distinguishes CPTSD from PTSD; DSM-5-TR (U.S.) does not list CPTSD as a separate diagnosis. References below.

Self-check: Which state am I in?

This is NOT a diagnostic tool — it’s a gentle way to notice patterns. Check what seems true right now.

Likely nervous-system state

Select any items on the left to see suggestions.

Grounding tools

Short, portable practices. Use what helps; skip what doesn’t.

Box Breathing (4-4-4-4)
—
Press Start above or here ↓
5-4-3-2-1 Senses
  1. 5 things you can see
  2. 4 things you can feel
  3. 3 things you can hear
  4. 2 things you can smell
  5. 1 thing you can taste (or a slow sip of water)
Self-talk Prompts
  • “This feeling is real, and it will pass.”
  • “Right now, I’m safe enough to take one slower breath.”
  • “I can ask for help. I don’t have to do this alone.”
Contact Blu

Need a human-backed assist? Create a ticket for our team.

Open Help Desk

More practices on Grounding & Co-Regulation.

Grief Is Normal

Grief isn’t only about death — it’s what happens whenever reality no longer matches the story you believed. Whether you’ve lost a person, a marriage, a faith, or a future, grief is your body’s sacred recalibration — not a malfunction.

Denial — The Shock Absorber

You may think, “This can’t be happening.” Your nervous system is shielding you from collapse while your mind adapts.

Try this: Give yourself time. Name the fog. Postpone big decisions until the ground stops shaking.

Anger — The Fire in the Wreckage

Rage rises because something sacred was violated: a promise, a dream, your sense of safety.

Try this: Channel it. Journal, move, pray, scream into a pillow. Anger says, “I deserved better.”

Bargaining — The Loop of “What if”

You replay scenes, negotiate with ghosts, and search for alternate timelines.

Try this: Notice “if only” thoughts without judgment — they prove you cared, not that you failed.

Depression — The Gravity of Reality

The loss sinks in. Colors dull. Hope feels expensive.

Try this: Treat this as recovery, not weakness. Ask for help, eat something warm, and step into sunlight.

Acceptance — The New Map

Not “over it,” but living with new coordinates. Integration replaces illusion.

Try this: Welcome small joys. Start again slowly. Healing is integration, not erasure.

When the Loss Is Divorce (and when infidelity is involved)

Divorce is a death that keeps breathing. You’re grieving shared language, family rhythms, and a covenant identity. With infidelity, the ground itself fractures: trust, safety, and self-worth all take damage.

  • Treat divorce like bereavement, not personal failure.
  • Hold small “funerals” for versions of you that no longer exist.
  • Mourn the family photo that never will be — then choose the next kind step.
  • Rebuild safety with boundaries, sober truth, and steady routines.

In covenant language, vows are more than legal — they’re sacred code. When that code breaks, spiritual disorientation is normal. Honor it; then write new, honest code.

Why Grief Work Changes Your Worldview

  • You learn that intense emotions won’t destroy you.
  • You stop confusing control with safety.
  • You love with clearer eyes and kinder boundaries.
  • You grow compassion for others’ pain — and your own.

At the Church of NORMAL, healing is holy and sarcasm is sacred. We don’t rush sadness or shame silence into productivity. We let grief do its sacred work.

CPTSD in the Blog

Posts tagged cptsd from Normal Like Peter.

References

  • ICD-11 recognizes Complex PTSD as distinct from PTSD (WHO). See summaries and research reviews (e.g., VA/NCPTSD, peer-reviewed studies).
  • DSM-5-TR does not list CPTSD as a separate diagnosis; clinicians frequently document PTSD with complex features.
  • Crisis lines (U.S.): 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; Crisis Text Line (741741).

This page is informational and not medical advice. If you have questions about diagnosis or treatment, please consult a licensed clinician.