Answer:
The individual must immediately consult a psychiatrist or psychologist to completely diagnose PTSD. For these health professionals, they are guided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). As directly lifted from DSM-5, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be diagnosed by following several criteria:
Criteria A: <em>The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened se.xual violence.</em>
- Direct involvement
- Witness of the said event
- Indirectly, by learning the event through an individual (family or friend). The event should be pure accidental or violent in nature.
- Repeated direct and/or indirect exposure to the hazardous event. This usually involves professionals dealing with violence or accidents.
Criteria B: <em>Intrusion symptoms</em> - should have <u>at least 1 of the 5 symptoms</u>
- Recurrent, involuntary and intrusive recollections - often very <em>repetitive and unintentional </em>
- Traumatic nightmares - <em>recurrent, </em>may cause <em>insomnia</em>
- Dissociative reactions - like <em>flashbacks</em> or episodes of <em>loss of consciousness </em>
- Intense emotional stress after exposure to traumatic reminders - may exhibit extreme emotions such as <em>irritability </em>or <em>crying</em>
- Marked physiological reactivity after exposure to trauma-related stimuli - often <em>jittery or with j.erky movements</em>
Criteria C: <em>Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma</em> - <u>needs to have 1 of the 2 symptoms</u>
- Trauma-related thoughts or feelings - emotions felt during the event
- Trauma-related external reminders - related individuals, profession, activity, etc.
Criteria D: <em>Negative alterations in cognitions and mood that are associated with the traumatic event</em> - <u>at least 2 out of the 7 symptoms must be present</u>
- Inability to recall key features of the traumatic event - marked amnesia, usually a dissociative symptom
- Persistent and distorted negative beliefs and expectations about oneself or the world - statements such as, <em>"I'm too dangerous to be with others," "I can't survive in this cruel world."</em>
- Persistent distorted blame of self or others for causing the traumatic event or for resulting consequences - <em>"I shouldn't have participated in that event," </em>or<em> "The company shouldn't have deployed me there."</em>
- Persistent negative trauma-related emotions - extreme anxiety, irritability, anger, shame, or guilt
- Markedly diminished interest in (pre-traumatic) significant activities - uninterested in doing activities they previously liked so much
- Feeling alienated from others
- Constricted affect - inability to feel true emotions like happiness, sadness, etc.
Criteria E: <em>Alterations in arousal and reactivity that are associated with the traumatic even</em>t - <u>at least 2 out of the 6 symptoms must be present</u>
- Irritable or aggressive behavior
- Self-destructive or reckless behavior
- Hypervigilance
- Exaggerated startle response
- Problems in concentration
- Sleep disturbance
Additional REQUIRED criteria: MUST HAVE <u>ALL 3 SYMPTOMS</u>
- The symptoms should be <u>continuously occurring for more than a month.</u>
- The condition effectively <u>impairs the person's daily life routine.</u>
- The condition is <u>NOT attributable</u> to any substances like <u>drugs, alcohol, or other existing medical condition.</u>