Instructions: Below is a list of problems that people sometimes have in response to a very stressful experience. Please read each problem carefully and then circle one of the numbers to the right to indicate how much you have been bothered by that problem in the past month.
When you live through a traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, open-shooter situation, or active combat, it’s normal to have some symptoms of anxiety afterward. These symptoms usually subside as time passes. PTSD, on the other hand, might not emerge immediately after a trauma. Instead of lessening with time, your symptoms tend to worsen and can become more disruptive to your ability to function and your overall quality of life.
PTSD was initially diagnosed in military veterans during World War I and World War II due to the horrors of trench warfare. Today, psychiatrists and mental health providers know that anyone can develop PTSD. Research hasn’t revealed why some people get PTSD and others don’t.