How is a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnosis made? Not everyone who has experienced a traumatic event is diagnosed with PTSD. Many people experience traumatic events during their life. After experiencing a traumatic event, it is normal to have strong feelings of anxiety, sadness, or stress. Some people may even experience some PTSD symptoms such as nightmares, frequently thinking about the event, or difficulty sleeping at night.
However, while you may be experiencing symptoms of PTSD, you do not necessarily have PTSD. Think of it this way: Headaches can be a symptom of a bigger problem, such as the flu. However, having a headache does not necessarily mean that you have the flu. The same is true for PTSD. Many of the symptoms of PTSD are part of the body's normal response to stress.
For this reason, mental health professionals have come up with specific requirements that must be met to receive a diagnosis of PTSD. These requirements are referred to as Criteria A - F and are outlined in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The six criteria for a PTSD diagnosis are described below. If you have not already done so, it may be wise to first learn about the basics of PTSD before you read on about how the diagnosis is made.
Criterion A
A person must have experienced a traumatic event where both of the following occurred:
- The person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event where there was the threat of or actual death or serious injury. The event may also have involved a threat to the person's physical well-being or the physical well-being of another person.
- The person responded to the event with strong feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror.
Criterion B
The person experiences at least one of the following re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD:
- Frequently having upsetting thoughts or memories about a traumatic event.
- Having recurrent nightmares.
- Acting or feeling as though the traumatic event were happening again, sometimes called a "flashback."
- Having very strong feelings of distress when reminded of the traumatic event.
- Being physically responsive, such as experiencing a surge in your heart rate or sweating, to reminders of the traumatic event.
Criterion C
The person experiences at least three of the following avoidance symptoms of PTSD:
- Making an effort to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations about the traumatic event.
- Making an effort to avoid places or people that remind you of the traumatic event.
- Having a difficult time remembering important parts of the traumatic event.
- A loss of interest in important, once positive, activities.
- Feeling distant from others.
- Experiencing difficulties having positive feelings, such as happiness or love.
- Feeling as though your life may be cut short.
Criterion D
The person experiences at least two of the following hyperarousal symptoms of PTSD:
- Having a difficult time falling or staying asleep.
- Feeling more irritable or having outbursts of anger.
- Having difficulty concentrating.
- Feeling constantly "on guard" or like danger is lurking around every corner.
- Being "jumpy" or easily startled.
Criterion E
The symptoms described above must have lasted for more than a month. If the symptoms have lasted for less than a month, you may have another anxiety disorder called Acute Stress Disorder.
Criterion F
The symptoms described above have a great negative impact on your life, interfering with work or relationships.
Making the Diagnosis
If you think you may have PTSD, it is important that you meet with a mental health professional trained in assessing and treating PTSD. To determine whether or not you should be diagnosed with PTSD, the clinician will usually interview you. In that interview, the clinician will ask about all of the above symptoms, and he will determine whether or not they are being experienced strongly enough level to be considered a problem.
PTSD can be a difficult illness to cope with. Yet, there is hope. We are learning more and more about PTSD everyday, and a number of treatment options are currently available for people with PTSD.
Source:
American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th ed. Washington, DC: Author.
