Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term for certain severe psychological consequences of exposure to, or
confrontation with, stressful events that the person experiences as highly traumatic.
Clinically, such events involve actual or threatened death, serious physical injury, or a threat to physical and/or
psychological integrity, to a degree that usual psychological defenses are incapable of coping with the impact.
If you suspect that you might suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, complete the following self-test by answering
the following questions. You can print out the test and show the results to your health care professional.
- Have you experienced or witnessed a life-threatening event that caused intense fear, helplessness or horror?
Do you re-experience the event in at least one of the following ways?
- Repeated, distressing memories and/or dreams?
- Acting or feeling as if the event were happening again (flashbacks or a sense of reliving it)?
- Intense physical and/or emotional distress when you are exposed to things that remind you of the event?
Do you avoid reminders of the event and feel numb, compared to the way you felt before, in three
or more of the following ways:
- Avoiding thoughts, feelings, or conversations about it?
- Avoiding activities, places, or people who remind you of it?
- Blanking on important parts of it?
- Losing interest in significant activities of you life?
- Feeling detached from other people?
- Feeling your range of emotions is restricted?
- Sensing that your future has shrunk (for example, you don't expect to have a career, marriage, children, or a normal life span)?
Are you troubled by two or more of the following:
- Problems sleeping?
- Irritability or outbursts of anger?
- Problems concentrating?
- Feeling "on guard"?
- An exaggerated startle response?
Having more than one illness at the same time can make it difficult to diagnosis and treat the different conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate an anxiety disorder include depression and substance
abuse. With this in mind, please take a minute to answer the following questions:
- Have you experienced changes in sleeping or eating habits?
More days than not, do you feel:
- Sad or depressed?
- Disinterested in life?
- Worthless or guilty?
During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs:
- Resulted in your failure to fulfill responsibilities with work, school, or family?
- Placed you in a dangerous situation, such as driving a car under the influence?
- Gotten you arrested?
- Continued despite causing problems for you and/or your loved ones?
If you or someone you know would like more information on PTSD, please call (408)315-0645 to schedule a therapy appointment.
Reference: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric
Association, 1994.
Randi Fredricks
has a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a Masters in Psychology. She runs her own natural health business,
All Things Well,
and counsels clients at her office in San Jose, California. You can reach her at 800-957-5655 or
contact her online. This article is taken partially or in whole from Randi Fredricks' book
Healing & Wholeness: Complementary and Alternative Therapies for
Mental Health. Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved.
No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems.
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