COULD THIS BE PTSD?

Note: The following information is not intended to serve as a basis for a comprehensive diagnosis of PTSD replacing the need for consultation with an appropriately qualified health professional or other caregiver. While we have made every effort to be as accurate as possible, the diagnosis of PTSD is the responsibility of an appropriately qualified practitioner. Accordingly, we recommend in the strongest possible terms that people seeking advice on whether they are affected by PTSD should consult an appropriately qualified practitioner.

These symptoms should alert you to possible PTSD:

• Experienced an event perceived by the person experiencing it as traumatic
• Flashbacks of the event, vivid & sudden memories
• Nightmares of the event
• Inability to recall an important aspect of the event - psychogenic amnesia
• Exaggerated startle response, constantly living on edge
• Hyper-arousal, always on guard
• Hyper-vigilant, constantly looking around for trouble or stressors
• Avoidance of all reminders of the traumatic event
• Intense psychological stress at exposure to events that resemble the traumatic event
• Physiological reactivity on exposure to events resembling the traumatic event- panic attacks, sweating, palpitations
• Fantasies of retaliation
• Cynicism and distrust of authority figures and public institutions
• Hypersensitivity to injustice

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• Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event.
• Recurrent distressing dreams of the event.
• Acting or feeling as though the event were recurring (including flashbacks when waking or intoxicated).
• Intense psychological stress at exposure to events that symbolise or resemble an aspect of the event.

3. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma or numbing of general responsiveness (not present before the event) as indicated by at least three of the following:

• Effort to avoid thoughts or feelings associated with the event.
• Efforts to avoid activities or situations which arouse recollections of the event.
• Inability to recall an important aspect of the event (psychogenic amnesia.)
• Markedly diminished interest in significant activities, such as hobby or leisure time activity.
• Feeling of detachment or estrangement from others.
• Restricted range of affect; eg, inability to experience emotions such as feelings of love.
• Sense of a foreshortened future such as not expecting to have a career, more children or a long life.

4. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (not present before the event) as indicated by at least two of the following:

• Difficulty in falling or staying asleep.
• Irritability or outbursts of anger.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Hypervigilance.
• Exaggerated startle response.
• Physiological reactivity on exposure to events that resemble an aspect of the event, eg breaking into a sweat or palpitations.

5. Items 2, 3, and 4 as above must be present for at least one month after the traumatic event.

6. The traumatic event caused clinically significant distress or dysfunction in the individual's social, occupational, and family functioning or in other important areas of functioning.

COVER-UP SYMPTOMS

The longer the person has suffered from untreated PTSD, and the more severe the trauma, the more likely the PTSD will be hidden by one or more of these or other cover-up symptoms: