Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

·        Long lasting anxiety or memories about a severe traumatic event, including nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, avoidance of reminders

·        Diagnostic criteria: 

o   Actual or threatened severely traumatic event where the response was intense fear, helplessness or horror 

o   Event is persistently re-experienced: recollections, dreams, distress to cues of an aspect of the event 

o   Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma (triggers) and numbing of general responsiveness (eg ¯interest in activities, detachment, etc) 

o   Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (eg difficulty sleeping, irritability, ¯concentration, hypervigilance) 

o   Duration of > 1 month

o   Causes significant distress or impairment in social/occupational function

·        Types:

o   Acute: duration of symptoms < 3 months

o   Chronic: duration of symptoms > 3 months

o   Delayed onset: onset > 6 months after stressor

·        Differential: OCD, Acute stress disorder (resolves within 4 weeks), adjustment disorder, psychotic disorders, malingering