How is PTSD diagnosed?
The diagnostic criteria for PTSD, per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (Text Revision) (DSM-IV-TR), may be summarized as: A. Exposure to a traumatic event B. Persistent reexperience (e.g. flashbacks, nightmares) C. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma (e.g. inability to talk about things even related to the experience, avoidance of things and discussions that trigger flashbacks and reexperiencing symptoms fear of losing control) D. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (e.g. difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger and hypervigilance) E. Duration of symptoms more than 1 month F. Significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (e.g. problems with work and relationships.) Notably, criterion A (the “stressor”) consists of two parts, both of which must apply for a diagnosis of PTSD. The first (A1) requires that “the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that in
