Making the Diagnosis
The diagnosis of PTSD is based on four specific features that must be present for at least one month:
- an objective component (the traumatic event) and a subjective component (the person's reaction of fear, horror, or helplessness)
- re-experiencing symptoms after the trauma - intrusive thoughts or recollections, recurrent dreams of the trauma, flashbacks of the trauma
- avoidance or "numbing" symptoms - avoiding thinking about the trauma, avoiding people or places that remind you of the trauma, inability to remember specifics about the trauma, detachment, or inability to see a positive future
- arousal symptoms - insomnia, irritability, decreased concentration, hypervigilance, or exaggerated startle response
These symptoms must also cause significant distress or interfere with a person's daily life and functioning.