While classic PTSD is dominated by symptoms of “reliving the trauma” (referring to symptoms such as flashbacks, fear and arousal, and avoidance behaviors, victims of prolonged interpersonal abuse present with an entirely different spectrum of impairments in personality structure and functioning. These include difficulties with emotional regulation, attention, and perceptions of oneself and the world, as well as a reduced sense of autonomy and personal agency. Another area of self-function that becomes derailed as a result of prolonged abuse pertains to the formation of distorted cognitive schemas responsible for negotiating interpersonal relationships. Even in work and marriage these victims seem unconsciously compelled to return to abusive relationships in which they reenact their inner trauma-generated schemas.