PTSD is an anxiety-related mental health condition that occurs after a traumatic event. Mild PTSD is not officially recognized but is a subjective assessment of mild symptoms. Symptoms include reliving, avoidance, numbness, and arousal. Treatment involves psychotherapy and medication.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety-related mental health condition that occurs after an individual experiences a life-threatening traumatic event. Although medical professionals may classify PTSD as mild, moderate, or severe, the diagnostic criteria for the disorder are the same. Mild PTSD, as an official diagnosis, is not recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Rather, mild PTSD is a subjective assessment indicating that an individual suffering from PTSD has mild symptoms versus moderate or severe cases.
Not every traumatic event will trigger a stress disorder. Likewise, not all individuals are prone to develop PTSD, even if multiple individuals experience the same event. Certain events, such as violent crime, war, natural disaster, or abuse, are more likely to cause PTSD, although one individual may develop a mild case while another develops a severe case of PTSD. Little is known about why some individuals develop PTSD and others do not, although anxiety disorders already present may contribute to the severity of the disorder.
Whether a person is diagnosed with severe, moderate, or mild PTSD depends on how severe the various symptoms present. For medical professionals to diagnose PTSD, a patient must have symptoms of marked anxiety in four categories. The four main categories of symptoms include reliving or intruding, avoidance, numbness, and excitement. Different patients will have symptoms from all four categories to varying degrees, with some individuals experiencing additional symptoms. Experiencing additional symptoms, such as hallucinations, aggressive behavior, or ringing in the ears, is less common for individuals with mild PTSD.
Reliving the accident is a primary symptom and involves persistent and intrusive thoughts or memories about the accident, including nightmares. With avoidance, individuals become unusually fearful of people, places, and things associated with the event and often avoid any exposure to such triggers. Numbness is similar to avoidance, except that the individual creates an abnormal emotional distance from people or activities, whether or not related to the traumatic event. Finally, arousal is the fourth symptom category, typically presenting as hypervigilance, lack of concentration, or sleepless nights.
Generally, if the symptoms are destructive to the individual but not debilitating, the individual is classified as having mild PTSD. Debilitating depression, suicidal thoughts, fear, panic attacks, aggressive outbursts, and similar behaviors often indicate more severe PTSD. Treatment for the condition involves several approaches, often based on the severity of the symptoms and the effect those symptoms have on the individual’s ability to function. Psychotherapy and medications are the most common course of treatment for mild to moderate PTSD.
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