Diagnostic Issues

Diagnosis of PTSD can be established through a history of exposure to trauma, a response of intense fear, helplessness or horror, re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms and hyper-arousal symptoms.

PTSD can be:

• acute - symptoms lasting 1-3 months
• chronic - symptoms more than 3 months in duration or
• delayed - where symptoms appear at least 6 months after the trauma

A diagnosis requires that the onset of the symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing and arousal be directly related to the traumatic event.

ASD may be diagnosed if a traumatised individual exhibits symptoms of dissociation and numbing, re-experiencing, avoidance and arousal within one month of trauma.

A key factor in the diagnosis of PTSD is that the avoidance and fear associated with the trauma occur in many areas of life.  If the avoidance and fear are limited to a specific aspect of the trauma or to a specific object or situation, a diagnosis of specific phobia may be more appropriate.

For example, if a person who survived drowning simply avoids swimming and is unaffected in other areas of life, a specific phobia would be the most likely diagnosis.  However, if the person avoids swimming, cannot be near a lake, or drive near water, cannot sleep and alternates between numbing and high arousal, a diagnosis of PTSD would be considered.