Forensic Psychology Expert Witness On Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Part 2

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In A Forensic Psychologist’s Report In A Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment And Retaliation Case forensic psychology expert witness Stephen Reich, Ph.D., writes on the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from DSM-IV 309.81, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, the American Psychiatric Association. (See 5/5/10 entry for part 1).

(C) Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness (not present before the trauma), as indicated by the following:
1. efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma 2. efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arouse recollections of the trauma 3. inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma 4. markedly diminished interest or participation in significant activities 5. feeling of detachment or estrangement from others 6. restricted range of affect 7. sense of a foreshortened future (e.g., does not expect to have a career, or a normal life span)

(D) Persistent symptoms of increased arousal (not present before the trauma), as indicated by the following:
1. difficulty falling or staying asleep 2. irritability or outbursts of anger 3. difficulty concentrating 4. hyper vigilance 5. exaggerated startle response
(E) Duration of the disturbance (symptoms in Criteria B, C, and D) is more than 1 month.

(F) The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

The duration of symptoms is chronic (3 months or more).