Many of us have been through a traumatic event – a daunting experience that has a deep emotional impact on us. Even if it didn't occur to you directly, sometimes witnessing it or hearing about it might be enough to shake you up.
Over time, your shock and fear may lessen. But what should you can't shake the anxiety, insomnia, and flashbacks that result from past trauma? You could also be affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is a psychological problem that folks sometimes develop after experiencing a life-threatening event reminiscent of war, rape, or a automobile accident.
To discover should you are affected by it, your doctor will consult with you in regards to the trauma and check whether your reactions meet the American Psychiatric Association's criteria for PTSD. You must meet all eight of those criteria to receive a PTSD diagnosis. Here are the standards:
Criterion A: They will need to have been exposed to or threatened with death. Or you could have suffered actual or serious injury or actual or threatened sexual violence. You will need to have experienced at the least certainly one of this stuff in the next ways:
- First hand experiences
- Be a witness to the event
- Learning that a detailed friend or relative has experienced it or been threatened
- You are recurrently exposed to other people's traumas, perhaps professionally
Criterion B: You repeatedly experience the trauma through at the least certainly one of the next events:
- Flashbacks
- nightmares
- Thoughts you possibly can't control
- Emotional stress
- Physical symptoms when occupied with the event
Criterion C: You avoid things that remind you of the trauma. To meet this criterion you could do certainly one of the next:
- Avoid thoughts or feelings related to the trauma. For example, you would possibly refuse to discuss war if war were the reason behind your symptoms.
- Avoid things that remind you of the trauma. For example, perhaps you don't watch war movies since you're afraid of triggering painful feelings.
Criterion D: You have negative thoughts or feelings that began or got worse after the trauma. To meet this criterion, at the least two of those must apply to you:
- They barely remember the event
- You have an excessively negative attitude towards yourself or the world
- They blame themselves or others for the trauma, even when it is just not true
- You lack interest in activities that you simply once enjoyed
- You feel lonely and isolated
- You find it difficult to be positive or feel joy
Criterion E: Their symptoms began or worsened after the traumatic event. At least two of this stuff have to be a part of your experience:
- You are sometimes irritable or offended
- You feel continuously on guard or easily frightened
- You behave in a dangerous or dangerous manner
- You have problems sleeping
- You find it difficult to remain focused
Criterion F: You meet this criterion if any of your symptoms last more than a month.
Criterion G: Your symptoms make it difficult to work or sustain with day by day life.
Criterion H: Your symptoms usually are not brought on by medications, illegal drugs, or one other illness.
If you meet all of those standards, your doctor will diagnose you with PTSD. Next step: treatment.