Posttraumatic Stress Disorder - Diagnosis

Mental-health professionals use a number of standards to diagnose PTSD. These standards fall into three general categories: intrusive symptoms, avoidance symptoms, and arousal symptoms. Intrusive symptoms are experiences that interrupt and interfere with a person's normal life. They include:

• Flashbacks
• Sleep disorders, such as nightmares
• Intense distress when there is mention of the original event

Avoidance symptoms involve attempts by the patient to refrain from dealing with the original event. They include:

• Trying to avoid thinking or feeling anything about the trauma
• Inability to remember the event
• Loss of ability to feel and express emotions
• A sense that the past is approaching very quickly

Arousal symptoms are obvious changes in a person's mental state. They include:

• Problems falling asleep
• Sudden and extreme reactions to unexpected noises
• Memory problems
• Concentration problems
• Moodiness
• Violence

PTSD in children can also be diagnosed based on other symptoms. These include:

• Learning disabilities
• Memory or attention problems
• Increased dependency on other people
• Increased anxiety
• Self-abuse

Huseuin Gusic (right), a veteran of the Bosnian war, talking with Dr. Avdo Sakusic (left) about war related nightmares. (Reproduced by permission of

AP/Wide World Photos

)