Criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)


This Post Traumatic Stress Disorder page contains an abridged version of the DSM-IV Criteria.
(The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) is a guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders in the United States.)

Please note:

This page has been included for information purposes only and although these criteria are displayed to provide a guideline to diagnosis they cannot substitute a visit to a doctor or mental health practitioner.

One more thing:

A "diagnosis" is merely a label .
It does not define you as a person.
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DSM IV Criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:

A. The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following have been present:
B. For the person suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the traumatic event is persistently reexperienced in one (or more) of the following ways:

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:
D. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (not present before the trauma), as indicated by two (or more) of the following:
E. Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in Criteria B, C, and D) is more than one month.

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

Specify -

Acute: if duration of symptoms is less than 3 months
Chronic: if duration of symptoms is 3 months or more
Specify - With Delayed Onset: if onset of symptoms is at least 6 months after the stressor
Acute Stress Disorder is distinguished from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because the symptom pattern in Acute Stress Disorder must occur within 4 weeks of the traumatic event and resolve within that 4-week period.
 
If the symptoms persist for more than 1 month and meet criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the diagnosis is changed from Acute Stress Disorder to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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