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POST-TRAUMATIC
STRESS DISORDER SELF-TEST
If you suspect
that you might suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder,
complete the following self-test by clicking the "yes
or "no" boxes next to each question, print
out the test and show the results to your health care
professional.
HOW
CAN I TELL IF IT'S PTSD?
Yes or No?
Yes
No |
Have
you experienced or witnessed a life-threatening
event that caused intense fear, helplessness
or horror? |
Do you re-experience the event in at least one of
the following ways?
Yes
No |
Repeated,
distressing memories and/or dreams? |
Yes
No |
Acting
or feeling as if the event were happening again
(flashbacks or a sense of reliving it)? |
Yes
No |
Intense
physical and/or emotional distress when you
are exposed to things that remind you of the
event? |
Do you avoid reminders of the event and feel numb,
compared to the way you felt before, in three
or more of the following ways:
Yes
No |
Avoiding
thoughts, feelings, or conversations about it?
|
Yes
No |
Avoiding
activities, places, or people who remind you
of it? |
Yes
No |
Blanking
on important parts of it? |
Yes
No |
Losing
interest in significant activities of you life?
|
Yes
No |
Feeling
detached from other people? |
Yes
No |
Feeling
your range of emotions is restricted? |
Yes
No |
Sensing
that your future has shrunk (for example, you
don't expect to have a career, marriage, children,
or a normal life span)? |
Are you troubled by two or more of the following:
Yes
No |
Problems
sleeping? |
Yes
No |
Irritability
or outbursts of anger? |
Yes
No |
Problems
concentrating? |
Yes
No |
Feeling
"on guard"? |
Yes
No |
An
exaggerated startle response? |
Having more than one illness at the same time can
make it difficult to diagnosis and treat the different
conditions. Illnesses that sometimes complicate an
anxiety disorder include depression and substance
abuse. With this in mind, please take a minute to
answer the following questions:
Yes
No |
Have
you experienced changes in sleeping or eating
habits? |
More days than not, do you feel:
Yes
No |
Sad
or depressed? |
Yes
No |
Disinterested
in life? |
Yes
No |
Worthless
or guilty? |
During the last year, has the use of alcohol or drugs:
Yes
No |
Resulted
in your failure to fulfill responsibilities
with work, school, or family? |
Yes
No |
Placed
you in a dangerous situation, such as driving
a car under the influence? |
Yes
No |
Gotten
you arrested? |
Yes
No |
Continued
despite causing problems for you and/or your
loved ones? |
Reference:
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
Fourth Edition. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric
Association, 1994.
If you or someone you know
would like more information on PTSD, please click
here to go to the ADAA resource page on this topic.
ANXIETY
DISORDES IN CHILDREN: A TEST FOR PARENTS
If
you think your child may have an anxiety disorder,
please answer the following questions
"Yes" or "No", print out the page,
and show the results to your child's health care professional:
Yes
No |
Does
the child have a distinct and ongoing fear of
social situations involving unfamiliar people?
|
Yes
No |
Does
the child worry excessively about a number of
events or activities? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child experience shortness of breath or
a racing heart for no apparent reason? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child experience age-appropriate social
relationships with family members and other
familiar people? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child often appear anxious when interacting
with her peers and avoid them? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child have a persistent and unreasonable
fear of an object or situation, such as flying,
heights, or animals? |
Yes
No |
When
the child encounters the feared object or situation,
does he react by freezing, clinging, or having
a tantrum? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child worry excessively about her competence
and quality of performance? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child cry, have tantrums, or refuse to leave
a family member or other familiar person when
she must? |
Yes
No |
Has
the child experienced a decline in classroom
performance, refused to go to school, or avoided
age-appropriate social activities? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child spend too much time each day doing
things over and over again (for example, hand
washing, checking things, or counting)? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child have exaggerated fears of people or
events (i.e., burglars, kidnappers, car accidents)
that might be difficult, such as in a crowd
or on an elevator? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child experience a high number of nightmares,
headaches, or stomachaches? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child repetitively re-enact with toys scenes
from a disturbing event? |
Yes
No |
Does
the child redo tasks because of excessive dissatisfaction
with less-than-perfect performance? |
Reference
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
Fourth Edition. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric
Association, 1994.
If you or someone
you know would like more information on anxiety disorders
in children and adolescents, please click
here to go to the ADAA resource page on this
topic.
First
Category |