r/CPTSDFightMode

3.9K archived posts · Feb 2020 – Sep 2026

Comradery and talking space for CPTSD fight mode

r/CPTSDFightMode

A compassionate, non-stigmatising subreddit for CPTSD fight mode.

Created Feb 10, 2020

10KMembers (last snapshot)

3.9KArchived posts

Friendly reminder to relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and relax your fists.

We are a community of people with Complex PTSD who experience the fight mode trauma response. This is our place to discuss mental health, life, society - anything that relates to our specific fight mode struggles and victories. Nothing is taboo here, nor is fight mode itself shamed or demonised. Instead, the goal of the sub is healing.

In that rage? Read our wiki, or Pete Walker's page about flashbacks and flashback management:

www.pete-walker.com/flashbackManagement.htm

(That site is also a good way to find quick and plentiful information about us and CPTSD in general.)

Want basic online therapy tools for anger? See this website. (Thanks to u/zen_tm for contributing the link.)

#Do you think you might hurt yourself and / or others? Contact your country's emergency services (911, 112, 120, etcetera).

Repeat or serious violations of sub rules will get you banned. These are r/CPTSDFightMode's rules:

1. No threats, name-calling, trolling, or other attacks against users

It's alright to disagree, or to be straightforward, or to argue, but it is not okay to be abusive. For more information about how to deal with trolls, read this post.

Flashbacks are awful, and I understand how much they affect things. However, they are not an excuse for abusive posting. If flashbacks affect your posting, don't post, just lurk.

Also, publicising someone's account history in order to trash or invalidate them counts as abusive behaviour.

Finally, publishing someone's personal information without their consent also counts as abusive behaviour, and regardless of whether they're a sub member or not.

2. No prejudice or hate against any demographics

While rage is to be expected here, prejudice and hate is not acceptable. You can, however, reach out about your own prejudiced and hateful feelings if it's related to your CPTSD.

What counts as hate? Devaluing a group for their inherent qualities. For example, having conservative views on LGBT issues is allowed, while slurs and otherwise dehumanising the LGBT community is not. Being respectfully opposed to religion is allowed, while anti-religious bigotry is not. Etcetera, etcetera.

3. No encouraging self-harm or other acts of violence or abuse

Opening up about your struggles with self-harm and / or violence or abuse is fine, inciting it is not. Likewise, inciting revenge, trolling, or brigading will result in mod action.

4. No diagnosing others or asking users to diagnose you

We are not mental health professionals, and cannot decide these things. This applies to strangers, politicians, and celebrities as well. (Armchair diagnosing fictional characters is fine, though.)

5. No spam

Spam will be removed.

6. No content that's not related to CPTSD and fight mode

You can post and comment about having other 4F types or diagnoses as well, and how this relates to your fight mode response, but you may not comment or post about things that are unrelated to CPTSD fight mode.

7. No politics

Political sentiment creates heated division and is not allowed on this sub. How to avoid it? A good rule of thumb is to stick to nonpartisan statements. You can also read more about rule 7 here.

For political trauma-related content, visit r/TraumaAndPolitics.

8. Possibly triggering content must be accompanied by content warnings and / or trigger warnings

This is to protect your fellow users. You can add the warning in the post or the post title.

9. Don't derail OP's thread

Keep things reasonably on topic so OP remains heard.

10. No reposts for six months

This is related to the "No spam" rule.

11. (Almost) no raisedbynarcissists lingo

To keep discussion accessible to all, please keep these two distinctions in mind: Not everyone here is familiar with language like "N", "narc", "EDad", or "spawn point", while words like "egg donor" or "narcissistic abuse" would be easier to understand the meaning of.

12. No pseudoscience, spiritual methods, or proselytising

Please stick to conventional methods and peer advice. Also, while being openly religious or spiritual is fully allowed here, religious or spiritual preaching and / or advertising is not.

13. Surveys and studies must suit this sub, be mod approved, and be approved by a regulatory body, while offers of free therapy must meet the first two requirements and be accompanied by evidence of license or enrollment

Surveys and studies will only be allowed if they center CPTSD fight mode specifically, have mod approval through modmail, and have an approval by IRB or an equivalent regulatory body. Offers of free therapy will only be approved if the prospective poster can show evidence of being either a licensed professional or a college / university student asking as part of a project in their program.

14. No obscene and / or hateful user flairs

Swears are fine, but keep it civil and SFW.

15. Use and respect post flairs

Post flairs communicate what the poster is looking for. If someone, for example, flairs they don't want advice, do not give them advice.

Flairs are enabled for usernames and posts. Username flairs are freely edited, while post flairs are pre-written. You can choose between the following:

Advice requested

For when you need tips, help, and constructive criticism.

Advice not requested

For when you need to rant and / or vent, and receive commiseration.

Self-help strategies

For sharing behaviours that further healing.

Self-help education

For sharing material about fight mode CPTSD and how to heal.

Progress

For sharing victories, big and small.

Question

For questions about fight mode CPTSD.