Complex PTSD in People Navigating Divorce or Separation
| Key things to know | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| How common is it? | Not established divorce-specific; 40% pooled CPTSD in domestic/sexual-abuse samples |
| Is it more common among people navigating divorce or separation? | Divorce alone doesn't increase CPTSD; prolonged domestic/interpersonal abuse strongly associated |
| Are people navigating divorce or separation at higher risk? | Strong if relationship involved repeated coercion/violence/abuse; no if ordinary separation |
| How much higher is the risk? | Global meta-analysis: domestic/sexual-abuse samples 40.0% pooled CPTSD |
| How often can it be missed? | Very high; may be viewed solely as breakup distress, anxiety or BPD |
| Does it show up differently among people navigating divorce or separation? | Yes contextually |
| How might it look different? | After prolonged abusive relationships: persistent danger response, shame/self-blame, emotion dysregulation, damaged self-concept and difficulty trusting/connecting |
| What commonly occurs alongside it? | Depression; anxiety; substance use; dissociation |
| What can it be confused with? | PTSD; BPD; prolonged breakup distress; depression |
| Common screening tool | ITQ |
| Separate screening tool for people navigating divorce or separation | None |
Most often taken Self-Assessments
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Take this quick self-assessment based on the GAD-7 to understand your current anxiety levels and how they may be impacting your life.
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Reflect on your relationship with porn and whether it's affecting your mental, emotional, or relational well-being.
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Self-Assessment: Overthinking
Reflect on persistent patterns of overanalyzing, second-guessing, or mental looping that may be affecting your clarity and peace of mind.
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Self-Assessment: Depression
The clinically proven PHQ-7 self-assessment to help you gauge if you might be experiencing signs of depression.
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Self-Assessment: Narcissistic Abuse
Check if you might be experiencing or recovering from narcissistic abuse in a relationship.
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Self-Assessment: Impact of ADHD
This self-assessment helps identify how adult ADHD may be affecting your daily life and functioning.
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Self-Assessment: Emotional Regulation
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Self-Assessment: Couple Relationships
A quick check-in to see how healthy and connected your romantic relationship feels right now.
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Self-Assessment: PTSD
Use the PCL-5 scale to identify signs of lingering emotional and physiological distress from traumatic experiences.
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Self-Assessment - Borderline Personality Disorder
Understand if you might be showing signs of Borderline Personality Disorder using the Mclean Screening Instrument.
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Self-Assessment: Sleep
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Self-Assessment: Dating Fatigue
Explore whether the emotional exhaustion, frustration, or numbness you're feeling around dating is a sign of burnout.
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Self-Assessment: Social Anxiety
Take this test based on the LSAS scale to find out if social situations are triggering anxiety or holding you back.
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Self-Assessment: Retroactive Jealousy
Explore if thoughts about your partner’s past are affecting your current relationship.
