PTSD is a condition where a traumatic event continues to negatively impact an individual’s life through long-lasting symptoms. The DSM sets out several criteria for PTSD, including experiencing a traumatic event, recurring memories, avoidance and numbness, agitation, significant disruption to life, and a minimum symptom duration of at least 30 days. Doctors diagnose PTSD by talking extensively with the patient to determine if they meet the DSM criteria.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition in which an extremely distressing event continues to negatively impact an individual’s life through a series of long-lasting symptoms. The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) sets out several criteria for PTSD. To be diagnosed with this condition, an individual must experience a traumatic event and must have recurring memories of that event. He must also demonstrate known behaviors such as avoidance and numbness and must show signs of agitation. The final criteria for PTSD include significant disruption to the affected individual’s life and a minimum symptom duration of at least 30 days.
As established by the DSM, the initial criterion for PTSD is that the individual in question must have experienced a traumatic event. This can include anything from taking part in a war to being sexually assaulted to being hit by a car. The individual may have participated in the traumatic event or witnessed it directly.
Subsequently, to be diagnosed with PTSD, an individual must have intrusive and ongoing memories of this traumatic event. These memories can take various forms. He might, for example, have nightmares about the event or hallucinate about it. Alternatively, he may find himself thinking about the event over and over again, or he may experience physical or psychological discomfort when he sees or hears something reminiscent of it.
Additional criteria for PTSD include unusual forms of conduct known as numbness and avoidance. The term numbness refers to a reluctance or inability on the part of the affected individual to demonstrate emotion towards others or to take an interest in people and activities they once cared about. Avoidance means that the individual tries to keep himself away from activities, conversations, places, and so on that may lead him to think about the traumatic event.
Another criterion for PTSD is ongoing agitation. As with memories related to the disturbance, this agitation can take many forms. For example, an affected individual may have difficulty sleeping or concentrating. He may be more prone to anger or fear than normal and may find that he always feels on edge.
Two remaining criteria for PTSD relate to how severely a traumatic event impacts an individual’s life and how long the individual’s symptoms persist. To be recognized as having PTSD, an individual’s condition generally must have an extremely destructive effect on their life, such as causing them to become addicted to alcohol or unable to work. Additionally, symptoms must persist for at least 30 days before PTSD can be diagnosed. Because there is no physical test to verify the existence of PTSD, doctors generally can only make a diagnosis after talking extensively with a patient to determine if they meet the DSM criteria for the condition.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
