Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD)
You may have post traumatic stress disorder if:
You have been exposed to a traumatic event in which:
a) You experienced, witnesses, or was confronted with an event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or threat to the physical integrity of yourself or others
b) You responded with intense fear, helplessness, or horror. (children may express it by disorganized or agitated behavior)
B) You persistently re-experience the trauma in one or more of the following ways:
1) you have recurrent or intrusive recollections of the event. This may include images, thoughts, or perceptions. (in children, repetitive play expressing themes or aspects of the trauma)
2) recurrent distressing dreams of the tramatic events.
3) Acting or feeling as if the traumatic event were recurring. (includes a sense of reliving the experience, illusions, hallucinations, and dissociative flashback episodes) (in young children, trauma-specific reenactment may occur)
4) Intense psychological distress at exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect of the trauma
5) Physiological reactivity on exposure to internal or external cues that symbolize or resemble an aspect or trauma
C) Avoiding stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing general responsiveness. These will be evident in at least 3 or more of the following symptoms:
1) Efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma
2) Avoiding 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 (eg unable to have loving feelings)
7) Sense of a fore-shortened future (eg, 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 or staying asleep
2) irritability or outbursts of anger
3) difficulty concentrating
4) hyper vigilance
5) exaggerated startle response
E) you have had these symptoms for more than a month
F) these
symptoms are causing significant distress or impairment in social,
occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
contact us for a thorough evaluation or assessment
phone; (630) 774-8316 or (630) 674-1138 or
email us at: info@theselfempowermentcenter.com to schedule your consultation.