How long does it take to recover from C-PTSD?
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
– Confucius
Starting on a journey to recovery from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) can, for so many of us, feel akin to setting off on a trek through Mordor versus a short, one-mile loop through your favorite park.
Big. Scary. Arduous. Seemingly never-ending. Filled with danger.
It’s a natural response, a question often stemming from desperation and so many years of pain, to wonder, “How long will it take to recover from C-PTSD? Is there an end to this journey, or will this go on forever?! How will I know when I’m done? Why isn’t this done yet?!”
I get it because I’ve asked all these questions, too.
Many times.
It’s perfectly normal and natural for you to want to know the timeline of your recovery and to be frustrated with how long it feels.
Who wants to start a hike without having some idea of when they’ll reach the summit or at least a rest point where they can sit down, have some water, and rest their weary legs?
Not me.
Every hike is unique.
But just as every hike is unique—meaning as unique as the person and the capabilities of their body undertaking it, not to mention the topography and terrain traversed—so too is the path to recovery from C-PTSD unique and subjective.
That means that no one, really, not ever, can ethically tell you how long your own recovery from C-PTSD will last or when you’ll be done.
Not what you wanted to hear, I know, but bear with me because I have some more nuance despite the lack of my crystal ball about when your own journey will end…
While each person’s recovery from C-PTSD will be unique, what’s true for nearly all of us is that the complexity of C-PTSD makes it a ‘long-haul’ healing journey rather than a sprint with a definitive finish line.
It IS a long-distance trek and not a short one-mile loop through our favorite park.
This can seem overwhelming. But remember, this journey of C-PTSD recovery is not about reaching the end as quickly as possible. It is about making tangible progress, no matter how small it might seem at the time.
And on this seemingly endless proverbial hike, even though it feels like Mordor, there is a basic map, there are known ways we navigate the terrain, and there ARE markers of progress along the way.
And these trail markers, in particular, are vital reminders that you’re not standing still; you’re moving forward.
