How is relational trauma different from Complex PTSD?

First, let me say that trauma of any type is a complex and multifaceted experience that can manifest in various forms. 

Two concepts that often surface when discussing trauma are relational trauma and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). 

Both have significant implications for an individual’s mental and emotional well-being, but they differ in several key aspects and the crux of this essay hinges on the differences between an experience and a result. 

Relational trauma is an experience.

Relational trauma, also known as interpersonal trauma, refers to traumatic experiences that occur within the context of relationships. 

As I define it and focus on in my work, relational trauma, specifically childhood relational trauma, is the kind of trauma that results over the course of time in the context of a power-imbalanced and dysfunctional relationship (usually between a child and caregiver) that results in a host of complex and lingering biopsychosocial impacts for the individual who endured the trauma.

The key characteristics of relational trauma include:

• Repeated Exposure: Relational trauma usually results from ongoing exposure to unhealthy dynamics, betrayal, manipulation, or other harmful behaviors within relationships. Relational trauma survivors may experience a sense of perpetuity, as the trauma tends to be recurrent.
• Relationship-Centered: As the name suggests, relational trauma is inherently tied to the dynamics of personal relationships. This trauma typically arises from within family units, romantic partnerships, close friendships, or other interpersonal connections.
• Emotional Impact: The emotional toll of relational trauma can be profound. Relational trauma survivors may struggle with issues like trust, self-esteem, self-worth, and attachment difficulties, which are often deeply rooted in their traumatic experiences.
• Complexity: Relational trauma can be intricate, as it often involves multiple traumatic events and varied forms of abuse or neglect within a single relationship or across several relationships.

Seen through this lens, we can understand that relational trauma is an experience (or set of experiences) that someone might move through, whether this is in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood.

However, Complex PTSD is an outcome that can sometimes (but not always) result from the experience of relational trauma.

Complex PTSD is a result, an outcome that someone can experience.

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a result, a condition that often develops as a consequence of prolonged and repeated exposure to trauma, especially (but not necessarily always) of an interpersonal or relational nature. 

Note: C-PTSD is not a term in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM – the clinical bedrock textbook of the mental health field).