mental health disorders
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Diagnosis of PTSD
A doctor's evaluation, based on standard psychiatric diagnostic criteria Doctors diagnose posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when People have been exposed directly or indirectly to a traumatic event. Symptoms have been present for 1 month or longer. Symptoms cause significant distress or significantly impair functioning. People have some symptoms from each of the categories of symptoms associated with PTSD (intrusion symptoms, avoidance symptoms, negative effects on thinking and mood, and changes in alertness and reactions). Doctors also check to see whether symptoms could result from use of a drug or another disorder. Dissociative Subtype of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder None PTSD often is not diagnosed because it causes such varied and complex symptoms. Sometimes the trauma may not be obvious to the doctor, and people are not always willing to discuss their trauma. Also, the presence of a Substance Use Disorders or other mental health disorders (for example, depression, anxiety) can distract attention from the PTSD. When diagnosis and treatment are delayed, PTSD can become chronically debilitating. 