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From the National Institutes of Mental Health Description:

PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a pervasive and extremely debilitating condition. It has been known to develop in individuals who have experienced a real or threatened terrifying or traumatic event. Combat veterans are some of the more well-known, but it also develops in people who have been the victims of child abuse, muggings, rape, natural disasters, accidents, and terrorist attacks. Families of trauma survivors or victims can also develop the disorder.
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The following information is about PTSD. While this disorder is most commonly recognizable in people who have experienced the trauma of war, major catastrophe or torture, it is also found in persons who have lived in abusive, addictive or otherwise traumatic home settings.

While you may need a trained professional therapist to assist you in diagnosing PTSD, using this worksheet might give you some sense of whether you may have had and/or continue to have any of the manifestations of PTSD. This information is not intended to take the place of trained, professional mental health services.

I describe PTSD, it's causes and recovery from it in my book, "Healing The Child Within," and it's companion workbook, "A Gift To Myself."
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From The DSM IV description of PTSD
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder 309.81

A. The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following were present:
(1) the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others
(2) the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror.
    Note: In children, this may be expressed instead by disorganized or agitated behavior

B. The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced in one (or more) of the following ways:
(1) recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event, including images, thoughts, or perceptions. Note: In young children, repetitive play may occur in which themes or aspects of the trauma are expressed.
(2) recurrent distressing dreams of the event.
Note: In children, there may be frightening dreams without recognizable content.
(3) acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes, including those that occur on awakening or when intoxicated). Note: In young children, trauma-specific re-enactment may occur.
(4) intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event
(5) physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic event

C. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness (not present before the trauma), as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
(1) efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma
(2) efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse recollections of the trauma
(3) inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma
(4) markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities
(5) feeling of detachment or estrangement from others
(6) restricted range of affect (e.g., unable to have loving feelings)
(7) sense of a foreshortened future (e.g., does not expect to have a career, marriage, children, or a normal life span)

D. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (not present before the trauma), as indicated by two (or more) of the following:
(1) difficulty falling or staying asleep
(2) irritability or outbursts of anger
(3) difficulty concentrating
(4) hyper vigilance
(5) exaggerated startle response

E. Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in Criteria B, C, and D) is more than 1 month.

F. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Specify if:
Acute: if duration of symptoms is less than 3 months
Chronic: if duration of symptoms is 3 months or more

Specify if:
With Delayed Onset: if onset of symptoms is at least 6 months after the stressor

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Stressors List
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Adulthood
Childhood
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Stressors from the table above
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Uncertain Questionable Stressors
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From My Past Other Stressors Not listed in the table above.
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PTSD Checklist
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Manifestation of PTSD
In My Past?
Still Have it?
Any Description of or Comments About the Event or Experience.
Stressful Life Events
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Score = Average 4 or more
Recurrent Bad Memories
Recurrent Scary Dreams
Panic Attacks
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Psychic Numbing
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Hyperalertness
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Survivor Guilt
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Avoiding Associated Activities
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Write "Yes" or "No" in the first two columns to indicate presence or absence of symptom from the left column. Write any comments in the far right column. Share this information with your therapist or mental health professional to begin to determine if you might indeed suffer from PTSD so that you can begin your recovery.
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NIMH PTSD Information
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