The following symptoms and complaints may indicate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):
Main symptoms
- Intrusions (intrusive thoughts and ideas shooting into consciousness).
- Avoidance behaviors
- Hyperarousal (usually occurring under stress).
Associated symptoms
- Dissociative symptoms (different personality states (dissociative identities) take turns controlling a person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions)
- (Partial) amnesias
- Emotional compartmentalization with restricted range of affect (“numbing”/flattening of general psychological responsiveness)
- Nervousness
- Physical and mental restlessness
- Insomnia (sleep disorders)
- Concentration disorders
- Tension
- Startle reactions
- Anger outbursts and irritability
- Self-harming or self-injurious behavior
- Lack of ability to experience pleasure or positive emotions
Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (DSM-5).
- A: Trauma
- B: re-experiencing (at least one symptom of re-experiencing that is related to and occurred after the traumatic event)
- Nightmares, flashbacks, intrusions, psychological distress, and physical reactions to confrontations.
- C: Avoidance behavior
- Emotional compartmentalization with limited range of affect (“numbing”); alienation; memory incomplete; avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli
- D: negative changes in cognitions and mood related to the traumatic event.
- E: persistent symptoms of elevated levels of arousal and exaggerated reactivity related to the traumatic event.
- F: disturbance pattern > 1 month
- G: clinically significant suffering or impairment in social, occupational, or other significant areas of functioning.
- H: disturbance pattern is not due to physiological effects of substances or a medical disease factor
Note: In young children, for example, concentration problems, irritability and tantrums can be misinterpreted as symptoms of ADHD and later, if necessary, as a disorder of social behavior in.
The following symptoms and complaints may indicate Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (KPTBS):
Main symptoms
- Intrusions (intrusive thoughts and ideas intruding into consciousness)/mental reliving of the traumatizing situation
- Avoidance
- Hyperarousal (overexcitement usually occurring under stress).
- Disturbed affect regulation and impulse control
- Persistent dysphoric-depressive mood; dysphoric: emotional state characterized by a depressed or sad or disgruntled underlying mood.
- Negative self-perception
- Relationship dysfunction
- Latent chronic suicidality (suicidal tendencies) and severe self-injury.
