05: Understanding the PTSD Diagnosis

In this week's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C, a trauma therapist, consultant and coach, explains the diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as written in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition - also known as the DSM-5, the manual published by the American Psychiatric Association  that is used in the US to guide mental health diagnoses. In this episode you will hear: 

• Laura explains the diagnostic criteria that has to be met in order to confirm a PTSD diagnosis 
• That people can have severe trauma symptoms that don't meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis 
• Laura gives examples of how various trauma symptoms may show up in our lives 

• This information can be helpful for anyone who is wondering whether they are affected by trauma symptoms, even if their symptoms don't meet the criteria for a full blown PTSD diagnosis (there are other trauma related diagnoses). 
• This diagnosis has some limitations. 
• In a future episode we will talk about the Complex PTSD Diagnosis that is not in the DSM but is in the ICD