Last week we discussed the causes of PTSD, using the DSM - IV diagnostic Criteria. This week we will examine the symptoms which are usually used to diagnose the disorder. Please note that the symptoms must be present for at least one month, and can occur at anytime after the trauma, be it days, weeks, months or even years.
B) The traumatic event is persistently reexperienced in one (or more) of the following ways:
- recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions
- recurrent distressing dreams of the event
- acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes, including those that occur on awakening or when intoxicated)
- intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
- physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
These 5 criteria can be simplified into the following 3 topics:
Re-experiencing the Trauma
Avoidance or numbing
Physiological symptoms of Arousal
Re-experiencing the Trauma
The woman may experience nightmares, intrusive and unbidden thoughts. She becomes preoccupied with the event(s). These thoughts/dreams/nightmares can trigger fear, anger, anxiety and induce more thoughts such as, what if... I should have... Why did?... etc....
Avoidance or numbing
Some women may not have memories of the actual trauma for an undermined period of time. This is the subconscious avoiding the memories or also known as psychic numbing. She may feel detached from others, and unable to enjoy pleasure. She may also find that certain situations may trigger feelings listed above.
Physiological symptoms of Arousal
Difficulties falling or staying asleep are common, and may be due to nightmares, fear of nightmares, hypervigilance, and increased startle response, and even anxiety attacks during sleep. Some women also have difficulties staying on task, topic or being able to carry out a conversation.
Many women may find that certain stimuli such as songs, sounds, smells, surroundings, a time of day, season, or even a certain occasion (such as Christmas) might "trigger" both physiological and psychological symptoms. This is because these "triggers" resemble or symbolize the original trauma whether she remembers the actual event or not.
In order for the diagnosis to be made, the duration of symptoms must be one month or more. The symptoms may emerge immediately after the event, or it may be days, weeks, months or even years afterward.
PTSD is different from other mental illness in that it has been precipitated by a
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