How to Assess Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome

During the last several years there has been increased interest in understanding what post-traumatic stress syndrome is. It is important to distinguish that this disorder is not isolated to those serving in the military, but is also seen in non-service members. Post-traumatic stress syndrome is triggered in people who have experienced an extreme traumatic event such as war, natural disasters or violent experience, which causes the person to have intense emotional reactions to what they have been through. Being able to assess post-traumatic stress syndrome can be instrumental in treating the disorder, and the key to assessment is learning to distinguish the symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Watch for bouts of anxiety. A person that has experienced a traumatic event may become anxious and nervous in an effort to cope with the ordeal they have been through. They often feel fearful and anxious because they believe they are still in danger.
2. Look for the person to display signs of paranoia. The paranoia may cause them to appear over-protective of their family’s safety. This feeling of paranoia can also make the person feel as if they are indeed going crazy, which intensifies their paranoia.
3. Be aware of depression. Those that suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome will commonly experience overwhelming sadness and grief and all the symptoms associated with depression.
4. Monitor the person for irritability, anger and aggressive behavior. There is a tendency to be short-tempered with people they love and trust as well as co-workers, and this will be visual in there ease and willingness to argue even the most simplistic issues. People suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome will have a hard time controlling anger and aggression.
5. Mood swings will be apparent. The person will have bouts of high and happy feelings that quickly retreat into feelings of anger, anxiety and sadness. They will be unable to control their emotions and moods, and they may not even realize they are displaying this behavior, pointing it out can cause the person to become protective and defensive.
6. Be on the lookout for flashbacks. Those suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome zone out of reality and often slip into a pattern of reliving the traumatic experience. This can happen at night time when they dream or while they are awake. They are not able to distinguish between what is real and what is not during flashback episodes. It can cause signs and symptoms associated with panic attacks, like sweating and increased heart rate.
7. Concentrating becomes difficult. It is hard for the person to stay on task and focus, which inhibits their ability to make decisions or remember to do simple routing tasks like showering or cooking a meal.
8. Suffering from feelings of guilt is also seen with someone that has post-traumatic stress syndrome. They may feel what is known as “survivors guilt,” which basically is what is says. The person has a hard time living with the fact that they lived through a traumatic event, while others they may have known did not.
9. Trusting others becomes an issue for the person. This will cause the person to withdraw from social interactions and become isolated because they feel insecure.
10. Communication may decrease. Often, a person suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome will feel unable to express what they feel or have been through, and it becomes easier for them to avoid speaking to others. This is also a way to avoid thinking about the traumatic experience.
11. Look for signs of changes in normal everyday habits. The person may have a loss of appetite or become an overeater. They may sleep more for prolonged amounts of time, or have extreme insomnia. There could also be a lack of interest in intimacy.

Tips & Warnings

• When a person you know has been through a traumatic life experience and displays any of the signs associated with post-traumatic stress syndrome, it is essential that the person receives medical attention to help them treat the condition. Living with an untreated mental illness can lead to a worsened state of the condition and other medical problems.