WARM2Kids, Inc.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Self-Injurious Behavior

Shyness & Social Anxiety

Suicide

Temper

Tourette Syndrome

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

There are three clusters of symptoms in PTSD. They are reliving the trauma, avoiding reminders of the trauma, and being on guard.

Reliving the Trauma

Nightmares and flashbacks
Chills, heart palpitations or panic when faced with reminders of the event
Regressive behaviors (eg. bed-wetting, thumb sucking)
Physical symptoms (eg. headaches)
Depression

Avoiding Reminders of the Trauma

Feel detached or lose touch with reality
Lose interest in usual activities
Irritable

Being On-Guard

Edgy, aggressive, or easily startled
Problems in school; difficulty concentrating
Difficulty sleeping

Know someone who may have PTSD? Check out this diagnostic criteria. PTSD is serious condition, so be careful when you look at these factors. This criteria is pretty complicated, but hopefully it will give you an idea of what happens when someone goes through a really traumatic experience.

The disturbances cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

	The traumatic event involved both of the following: 1.experiencing, witnessing or being confronted with an event involving death or threats of death, serious injury, or physical harm 2. intense fear, horror, or helplessness.
	The traumatic event is re-experienced by or more of the following: 1. intrusive, distressing recollections (images, thoughts, or perceptions); 2. Recurrent, upsetting dreams; 3. Reliving experience (illusions, hallucinations, flashbacks when awake or intoxicated); 4. intense reaction to anything that symbolizes traumatic event.
	Avoiding and numbness regarding anything that reminds person of event shown by 3 or more of the following: 1. Effort to escape thoughts, feelings, or conversations related to event; 2. efforts to avoid activities, places or people that arouse memories of event; 3. inability to recall important aspects of trauma; 4. Lack desire to participate in significant activities; 5. feelings of detachment from others; 6. restricted range of emotions; 7. person feels as though he has no future
	Persistent symptoms of increased arousal as indicated by two (or more) of the following: 1. difficulty falling or staying asleep 2. irritability or outbursts of anger 3. difficulty concentrating 4. hypervigilance 5. exaggerated startle response

The information provided on this site should not replace your physician’s advice.