C-PTSD, dissociative identity disorder (DID), and dissociation are closely connected, but distinguishing among them is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate care planning. Doing so requires careful attention to patterns involving memory, identity, agency, and relationships over time. Dissociation can disrupt awareness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, and connection to the body (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Because these experiences can occur in C-PTSD, DID, and other conditions, their presence alone does not establish a diagnosis. Where C-PTSD and DID OverlapBoth conditions can involve shame, difficulty regulating emotions, relationship problems, dissociation, and a sense that different “parts” come forward in different situations.