Wendy Wall: In the Wake of Childhood Trauma

Abstract

The sequelae of childhood abuse can be ongoing, particularly when a child experiences abuse over an extended period and the perpetrator is a close family member. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (fourth edition, text revision) diagnoses frequently associated with adult survivors of such abuse are posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. The following extended case study explores the appropriateness of these diagnoses for a survivor of protracted physical abuse who met criteria for antisocial personality disorder as well as for posttraumatic stress disorder. The diagnostic category of complex posttraumatic stress disorder is explored for this woman. [Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 4:377–387 (2004)]