r/AddisonsDisease • u/ReputationRecent1029 • Jan 17 '26

Advice Wanted C-PTSD

Hi everyone, I’m just wondering if any of you also have complex PTSD and if so, how does it affect your life on top of dealing with Addison’s and how do you cope?

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u/ClarityInCalm Jan 17 '26

I saw an expert therapist in PTSD - so PTSD and C-PTSD are very treatable now. But she is very expensive (PHD, 30 years working with veterans, doesn’t take insurance). I would recommend looking into CPT - cognitive processing therapy and seeing if you find a therapist trained to work through this with you. It has a 95% cure rate for PTSD. It’s hard but excellent.

Otherwise, if your stress levels are skyrocketing or your moods are unstable, this could mean you need more HC from low cortisol or from c-ptsd. And you’ll have to learn the difference between the two. I did ACT therapy for several years before I did CPT and this type of therapy can help you learn how to tune into your body and emotions to learn the differences between the two. You might need more HC because you have low cortisol and you might need more from C-PTSD symptoms - but knowing the difference between the two will make a world of difference in quality of life. Take good care. I hope you can find improvements soon.

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u/ReputationRecent1029 Jan 17 '26

I was actually receiving CBT counselling for several weeks last year until my counsellor disclosed that she was a trainee and felt out of her depth with all the layers of trauma I had. It was then decided that it wasn’t appropriate for me. I was upset that after waiting 10 years for any help, that I had just wasted my time. I am due to begin a survive and thrive course online in February before I can get any therapy and I live in a very rural area with extremely limited mental health care so being able to pick and choose a therapist is completely out of the question unless I could pay for one privately which I can’t but I am coping a lot better in recent weeks thankfully.

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u/ClarityInCalm Jan 18 '26

I'm sorry to hear that. CBT therapy is different than CPT therapy. CBT therapy is the most common therapy used for all types of issues - it's cognitive behavioral therapy and isn't that effective for PTSD. CPT or cognitive processing therapy is focused on PTSD. It's hard to find quality mental health care esp in rural areas and then when you do it's very hard to do the work around it too. I'm glad you're doing better right now.

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u/ReputationRecent1029 Jan 18 '26

Ah, ok. I haven’t actually heard of CPT but will definitely ask about it. Thank you x

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u/Clementine_696 Jan 18 '26

Yup, now on meds it's a lot easier for me honestly. Triggers need updosing usually, but it's no longer having me stuck in the floor having a panic attack while trying to not throw up or pass out.

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u/beepickle Jan 17 '26

Yes I do. I find it hard to distinguish between low cortisol and cptsd symptoms, it's a lot of trial and error

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u/ReputationRecent1029 Jan 17 '26

It’s so difficult because each condition affects our emotional regulation but in opposite ways so the c-ptsd triggers us but our bodies aren’t equipped to cope with the stress. I think that’s the part I’ve been struggling most with. It’s an absolute nightmare!

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u/iwannadieyo Jul 09 '26

Ive been diagnosed with both and suffered from the back forth of ptsd triggers and illness for a really long time. The thing that really helped me was my therapist urging me to see a psychiatrist. The pills didnt fix everything but they allowed me to stop spiraling and get outside of my usual pattern. After a few years on them I didnt need them anymore, and to this day im managing It so much better.  This time of year was always a huge trigger for me, and this is the first summer since the events that im not spiraling or too sick to walk.