Post-traumatic stress disorder

Alternative Names

Symptoms

Symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories:

1. Repeated "reliving" of the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity

• Recurrent distressing memories of the event
• Repeated dreams of the event
• Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again
• Physical reactions to situations that remind you of the traumatic event

2. Avoidance

• Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
• Lack of interest in normal activities
• Feelings of detachment
• Sense of having no future
• Emotional "numbing", or feeling as though you don’t care about anything
• Less expression of moods
• Staying away from places, people, or objects that remind you of the event

3. Arousal

• Irritability or outbursts of anger
• Sleeping difficulties
• Difficulty concentrating
• Exaggerated response to things that startle you
• Excess awareness (hypervigilance)

You also might feel a sense of guilt about the event (including "survivor guilt"), and the following symptoms, which are typical of anxiety, stress, and tension:

• Paleness
• Feeling your heart beat in your chest (palpitations)
• Headache
• Fever
• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Agitation, or excitability

Exams and Tests

There are no tests that can be done to diagnose PTSD. The diagnosis is made based on a certain set of symptoms that continue after you've had extreme trauma. Your doctor will do psychiatric and physical exams to rule out other illnesses.