PTSD

Diagnosing PTSD with the DSM-5

Criteria Clusters in Diagnosing PTSD The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition), tells us there are eight criteria for diagnosing PTSD. The three criteria that must be present for a PTSD diagnosis are: Diagnosing PTSD Criterion Cluster 1 Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in one…
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PTSD from Domestic Abuse

PTSD Affects 10 Percent of Domestic Abuse Survivors Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from domestic abuse affects a great number of abused and previously abused women. Women, in general, develop PTSD from domestic abuse more often than men in part because … women are more likely to experience trauma within established relationships or their traumatic exposures are more chronic than…
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Is PTSD from Abuse Affecting You?

About 6 out of every 100 people, 6% of the United States population, will have PTSD at some point in their lives.1 PTSD resulting from domestic abuse is diagnosed in about 10% of domestic violence victims. Why so many? Domestic abuse is a trauma enacted by someone you’re told you can trust (the family unit…
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My Abuser Has PTSD. What Do I Do?

I’ve never been to war. I’ve never been raped at knife-point or fought for my life from strangers. But I did live with an unpredictable, angry and abusive man for over 17 years. And that is way more than enough time to develop hyper-anxiety, difficulty concentrating, experiencing overwhelming guilt or shame, and any other PTSD…
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Abuse Survivor Fights PTSD & Depression

Today is rough. I looked back on my life to see how my mental illnesses affect my relationships with others. This is hard to do because I didn’t ask for these mental illnesses; I wasn’t born with PTSD or depression! I never asked for the car accident with my mum, and I definitely never asked for what…
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I Feel Ashamed of My PTSD Diagnosis

A couple of weeks ago, I received a second mental health diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I’ve long wondered if my symptoms added up to PTSD but knowing that a psychiatrist believes I have PTSD affected me. Negatively. Being diagnosed with PTSD affected me negatively. There. I said it. It makes me feel powerless.…
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Tips for Leaving an Abusive Relationship

Your Safety and Health Leaving an abusive relationship behind will be one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of your life. I promise. The years since I left my abusive husband prove to me that I am valuable, lovable, courageous, and capable of handling my affairs. It took time to relearn those things that…
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The Haunted House – How to Explain Verbal Abuse

If you’ve tried to explain verbal abuse to anyone, you may have found yourself at a loss for words. You may doubt your ability to paint an exact picture, or maybe when the words come out, your friend gets a blank look on her face. You think she wants to say, “What’s so bad about…
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PTSD Makes a Noisy Mind

I forgot how anxious I was until after I left my ex and experienced peace for the first time in 18 years. There is such a difference from when I lived with the abuse! If I’m not yet at peace, that’s okay. It will come. Whatever “this” is beats what I used to feel by…
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PTSD and Depression Keep Me Spiraling Downward

PTSD and depression developed during domestic abuse caused visions of my children dying or dead. Fear of life held me tight, but I didn’t understand why.
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