Post-traumatic stress disorder is considered to be a steadily proliferating mental disease these days. The disorder emerges as an aftermath of a potent traumatic event and sometimes of an extreme stress. This ambiguity has caused confusion among therapists who started to treat any type of stress including consequences of job loss, harassment or witnessing violence on TV as a trauma that logically caused PTSD. But in fact, a handful of patients with PTSD are likely to be misdiagnosed.
So why do therapists make such gross mistakes while diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder? Perhaps, a confusing symptomatic and faulty criteria shall be blamed. Common symptoms of PTSD encompass flashbacks, intrusive memories, a certain change in mood and thinking, and social isolation. As we can see, much of these symptoms may indicate to a range of mental disorders other than PTSD. It is important that therapists check whether a traumatic event really happened to a client who possibly has the condition. Usually these are events such as childhood neglect, sexual assault and any other kind of physical attack. Car accidents frequently contribute to emerging PTSD.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder do not necessarily appear straight after the traumatic event. They usually emerge after few months or even until a year after the negative experience. Change in emotional reaction make it impossible for people to work and communicate as smoothly as before; it indicates to certain impairment in the mental health to be addressed immediately. But a correct diagnosis is still crucial for proper and successful treatment.