CPTSD or Personality Disorder? (Compilation)

Cluster B personality disorders are post-traumatic conditions. As such they are indistinguishable from sufferers of CPTSD (complex trauma). But CPTSD is transient and curable.
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[@haliec496]

"People are the outcomes of interaction with other people". This hit home. I find that I dysregulate after too much exposure to people. I believe I had late onset trauma. At 45 after the death of my mother, i spiraled downwards for 3 years. My life was out of control. I seemed to relive all of my past trauma and DV trauma and grief altogether in those 3 years. Thankfully now, i have regulated again and life is good. I am grateful for your knowledge. It really helps my mind to know that I don't have to think that it is permanently me, that it can come & go. It gives me hope for the future.

[@ceciliacoulombe-judkins2311]

So very grateful that you share these wisdom moments with us. CPTSD is REAL!

[@silvermoonuk]

I agree with you sam some people will convince themselves that they have cptsd but deep down they have personality disorders. I also hate it when people call themselves so called empaths as well.

[@gloriaknott7448]

I am having bouts of amnesia when going through very stressful times. Been gleaning from your videos for answers. I was married to a overt narc and just got out of a relationship with a covert which triggered my last amnesia episode. Thanks for your dedication to helping others.

[@InternetRefugee]

You ask whether in BPD with CPTSD symptoms the BPD or the CPTSD should be the primary diagnosis. From the sequence of events you describe, BPD should be the diagnosis. The early initial trauma stunts personality growth, but it's the undeveloped parts of the personality, such as the impaired reality testing and problems with object permanence, that seem to cause the BPD specific problems. So I think what you've told us is consistent with this: cluster B personality disorders are post-traumatic reactions of early childhood, sharing features of trauma, but with other distinguishing features based on disrupted personality development. CPTSD has the all the classic features PTSD, but because of the length of the trauma (and possibly the nature of the abuse such as domestic abuse), CPTSD victims may acquire some symptoms beyond classic PTSD, such as paranoid ideation, more negative self-image, difficulty with trust, and impairment of reality testing. In a person who acquired CPTSD after personality formation, these later features would be the ones that "stand out" over the usual PTSD symptoms, but in a person who acquired CPTSD before the personality was fully formed, they may be overwhelmed by (say) the obviously unstable sense of self or the need to outsource reality testing to a significant other. Also: The idea of idolization and parentification being forms of trauma-causing abuse may not be accepted because they don't traumatize healthy adults. Children have particular weaknesses to these forms of abuse from parents. *shrug* Is this a sensible interpretation of what you've told us here?

[@ben3435]

Thank you SO much for an excellent technical summary and very clear video once again

[@claudi_knits]

Wow ..again 🙏 everything makes much more sense now! Thanx 😊

[@Chez8922-kf6cy]

I'm wondering what bottle of wine he has open and what it tastes like. I want a glass. lol.

[@geg_jean]

Thank you Thank you Thank you 🙏

[@dilfuzakhaydarova2859]

Thank you so much Dear Professor for interesting knowledge ❤

[@shelightsup3338]

Oh, Sam, if only I could sit and pick your brain. ❤ I adore your work.

[@SaxeK]

I understand it is normal or easy for a narcissist/ psychopath to tune you out when you talk to them and for them to not acknowledge and/ or dismiss your feelings and thoughts. Is there any study that shows that they are emotionally effected by a letter (written words).When they read someone's thoughts or feelings, does the written language connect within their brains in a away that they can't dimiss what is being expressed to them.

[@patrickhuttel513]

That's terrifically interesting and (more?) research should been done in this regard. Borders onto themes of literature as a form of auto-therapy as well.

[@chrisstarr9819]

A narcissist would get to the part about them and stop reading if started at all...a psychopath would use it to manipulate you....a bpd would read it and allow it to.crush them and feed there cycles of self destruction and rebirth

[@chooseaname1423]

I’ve been wondering this as well

[@geg_jean]

Thank you 🙏

[@NatachaPastore]

Thank you very much

[@NatachaPastore]

I’ll tag 2:20:00 to re-watch later

[@JeremiahLOsborne]

I would like to hear your thoughts on the work of Dr Gabir Mate. He talks about how abnormal behavior is normal reaction to trauma. And that's something you seem to be hitting on in the beginning here.

[@samvaknin]

I have been saying it since 1995. a decade before Mate - or anyone else, actually.

[@JeremiahLOsborne]

@@samvaknin claiming that abnormal behavior is a normal reaction? If this is true, and it seems to be highly reasonable, why can't we get the majority of the medical community and society in general on board with this concept?

[@JeremiahLOsborne]

@Sam-rx5ig that was brilliant. It makes me even more hard line in my stance that there is no such thing as normal, in fact, it should be considered an obscene word. It creates expectations where there should be none, and then we can begin to unbalance the power in society, because, like you said, we can demonize certain coping mechanisms and embrace other ones. Perhaps we should begin to use the words. Typical and atypical. Normal indicates some kind of objective standard, and a simple sociology course can show us that culture dictates standards across the world.

[@endriandri7914]

G. Mate quote "Illness in this society, physical or mental, they are not abnormalities. They are normal responses to an abnormal culture".

[@thelivinwarrioracademy]

Yes, I found that CPTSD and borderline symptoms were very, very similar during my research. Which is interesting since historically borderline personality was generally considered a female condition. But also women were largely being abused in their homes. I don't agree, ppl with Cptsd also have identity issues and impulse issues, interpersonal relationship issues, etc.... Exactly, I agree with your second group of scholars. Absolutely, emotional disregulation is a huge part of CPTSD. Absolutely, I agree.There doesn't seem to be a distinction between the two, this is the point I made in my dissertation.

[@JeremiahLOsborne]

Don't you think that emotional dysregulation and impulsivity go hand in hand?

[@thelivinwarrioracademy]

@@JeremiahLOsborne Since emotional dysregulation is essentially the inability to manage ones emotions and one of the dysfunctional outlets for that is impulsive behaviour, yep they could go hand in hand.

[@treasuretshabalala132]

Hello! I'm getting the sense that you've encountered and possibly experienced someone with cPTSD, and if that's true then I am sorry that they might have hurt you. Truth is, yes we do share some symptoms with Borderlines, such as identity issues as you stated, reacting impulsively and emotional dysregulatio; that is all true, but seeing as you seem to be a trauma coach and you'll go on to assist people and inform them, I want to assure you that people with cPTSD are mostly not Borderlines. There might be a comorbidity perhaps, but lemme not drag on too much and just tell you my story and daily experience. 1. As a person with cPTSD, I don't fear abandonment. I don't struggle at all with someone leaving my life and unlike a borderline, I'm able to maintain my grip on reality in the face of abandonment (a little TOO good I'd say) and I'm also able to continue seeing shades of grey within a situation and not point fingers, split or devalue. I still care about my ex lovers although I know I could never go back to them, and I don't idealise either them nor myself. 2. I am extremely self-aware, and I've always been even before I received an education on psychology. As I mentioned, I have a firm grip on reality and I am able to discern good from bad, to apologize when wrong and I possess the capacity to change and grow. I'm much more receptive to therapy than I believe a borderline would be. 3. Receiving this diagnosis made me ego- dystonic and I have the motivation to grow and recover. I'm single handedly working on my healing and I've been able to maintain amazing levels of self motivation and I see changes in my life. This is what my therapist (who specializes on Cluster B disorders) suggested I do (and I can't wait to go back and give him all the positive feedback). I think the difference with a borderline would be that receiving a diagnosis would make them ego-syntonic ("I finally know what's wrong with me") like with the narcissist, but I AM MERELY ASSUMING HERE! What I am trying to show you is that I don't have a victim mentality and being raised by a possible narcissist and borderline, I viewed myself as the victimizer for most of my life because I was gaslit into believing I was. 4. I don't experience a sense of emptiness, but instead I feel that there's "too much to hold in". When I was emotionally dysregulated, I'd feel more like a full balloon just waiting to pop and explode other than an emoty barrel, and most of the time I'd suppress my feelings. If you are willing to discuss this further I'm more than available to answer your questions. cPTSD is a disorder, which, with intervention, can be healed (at least in my case). But yes, I will admit we "behave like borderlines" when unaware of our condition and undiagnosed. Heck, sometimes we even behave like narcissists I'd say; love bombing, testing, devaluing and discarding (when my Inner Critic is "online", I often question if I'm not a borderline/narcissist). I wish you the best of luck with your work and I hope you'll be able to move past whatever may have led you to believe that we are borderlines😂Cheers!

[@thelivinwarrioracademy]

@@treasuretshabalala132 Ok, thank you for that long reply but I think you should read my comment again because I didn't say that ppl with CPTSD were borderlines at all.

[@treasuretshabalala132]

​@@thelivinwarrioracademyI have, and I have to admit I'd skimmed through your comment at first and I was mainly responding to "there doesn't seem to be a distinction between the two..." I haven't even watched Sam's video so maybe I'll gain better context of your comment after I do. Cheers!

[@PolinaP-lj2ys]

Dear Sam, thank you so much. I have been diagnosed with CPTSD at first (when I was 35) and only now (42) the doctors confirmed it to be BPD. Thank you so much for all the videos. I've been on pills since 35, and a year ago started psychological therapy. My BPD is still very bad. And I wanted to ask you several questions: - This emptiness inside, it's always there, does it mean there's no myself at all. Everything is just a self-state? When at work, or with a child, there is nowhere real me? - After I decided to divorce my husband I've been constantly changing men while having these ups and downs with every one of them - just as you say it. And now I've met a men who is smart enough to understand what he deals with. I'm trying to control my states, having the pain inside I do not show it, try not to show any sign of the acting out. Do you think it's possible to control herself for a BPD being in therapy? - how long did it take BPD to return to normal with therapy? Thank you

[@samvaknin]

Search the BPD playlist.

[@user-vj9mu9jb1p]

Before I seen a therapist I thought I was BPD. I got diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

[@Cocopuffbear]

I love Sam ❤ Vaknin! 😊

[@Riostunning]

I hope you know on the other side of the world there's a girl who deeply wish to be your student someday. Thank you great video as usual.

[@jadephills-clarke3142]

I have BPD and this video has absolutely helped me understand myself along with many of your other videos. My question to you though is that I read online that BPD and autisim are very similar meaning people with BPD are also neurodivergent. Is this true? Do you have a video that can clarify this? Tha k you for your videos :)

[@samvaknin]

Search the channel.

[@CarlosIvanDonet]

reinventing reality testing: Hysterical amnesia @ 8 yrs old = self-inflicted

[@fatsocab]

you think crying/falling apart in therapy is a sign of emotional dis regulation. Is emotional disregulation a negative trait always?

[@samvaknin]

Therapy is a controlled and artificial environment. It is not life.

[@tylerwells4808]

1:25:41 bookmark

[@cristinamoscarillo7695]

A person with CPTSD and a person with BPD are told they need to trek up a mountain in order to heal their trauma. The CPTSD will trek up the hill, slipping and falling on the way but will continue the journey up the mountain. The person with BPD will fill a backpack with substances and jump on someone’s back to hitch a ride up the hill complaining about how bumpy the ride is while figuring out how many lawsuits for the uncomfortable journey up the mountain! The difference between CTPSD and BPD😄

[@LisaFransenFVD]

🙄

[@davidlewis6928]

I just keep thinking how common it is for the father to be the one fighting to see his children that the mother chooses to use against him. All the worst parts of Disney. Fighting to get your children back from someone so willing to take them from you. At any cost. Maximum humiliation and maximum gain. It's savage in the courts. Worst of all is knowing it won't stop.

[@justjamie7577]

Would OCD behavior be self soothing and if so does that mean people with OCD are borderline. Especially since some people with OCD are meticulous in one area of life and chaotic in another seems like dysregulation.

[@samvaknin]

OCD is a form of magical thinking and ritualized actions intended to counter catastrophizing. It may be comorbid with any mental health disorder.

[@justjamie7577]

@@mec.laurapalmer7155 the best and worst therapist I ever had was the same person. She helped me as much as she hurt me. Therapists have different personalities, training, perspectives and agendas. And they have free rein behind closed doors. Distressed people see therapists as saviors. Eventually we learn that they are just as flawed as we are.

[@antoniocarlton5709]

I love you!!!🫶🏼

[@bossasupernova6339]

Since CPTSD is similar to Borderline, is DBT also the preferred treatment option for CPTSD as it is for Borderline in the opinion of Prof. Vaknin? My apologies if this question has been addressed already in the videos. I don't remember this being addressed specifically, and I have attempted to search the transcripts without any luck so far.

[@samvaknin]

No. CPTSD is treated with trauma therapies.

[@bossasupernova6339]

@@samvakninThank you

[@tcruzful]

This may be a stupid question as I am having trouble following this video. Is it possible that certain symptoms could manifest as a result of the specific type of trauma someone experiences in childhood? For example, my childhood trauma is a direct result of a narcissistic parent, grandparent. Not all trauma stems from narcissistic abuse. The reason I ask is because I am emotionally numb, dissociative, indifferent to most people, isolative, and happy mostly alone. But let a narcissistic man come within a mile of me, and I will pursue him. I will have severe abandonment anxiety only for the narcissist. I won't have abandonment anxiety for anyone else. Not even my parents or children. Also, while in relationship with a narcissist, I become extremely emotionally dysregulated, paranoid, I lash out at him, etc. When these relationships end, I have suicidal ideation, I feel helpless and afraid. Then I slowly return to being emotionally numb etc...Is it possible that I would have had a different diagnosis dependent on whether or not I was with a narcissist at the time of evaluation? Or if someone is currently experiencing something that allows them to relive the original childhood trauma, as my narcissistic relationships do, would that experience push them into a more borderline state and while not experiencing anything related to the original childhood trauma pull them back into a more cptsd state?

[@samvaknin]

No. But HOW CPTSD manifests IS dependent on past traumas.

[@rickfucci4512]

I would bet, for cptsd, that emotional disregulation in the face of an authority figure interlude is more scene and setting. As Timothy Leary taught us, head shrinkers are terrifying to the lay person.

[@Jeanne-S]

Indeed very very complex😅

[@HungarianMeringue]

Ha, my mother, when I was a child- we don't shut the bathroom door in this house. We are an open family. 😅😮 My therapist, recently- your mother should really be somewhere, she could be a case study. Indeed. 😂😢

[@HungarianMeringue]

And we were already off to the races as a family when she said this. Sigh.

[@mostsell9877]

Merica needs a honest sam for once😂

[@alyxh291]

L