“I am continuously struck by how frequently the various thought processes of the inner critic trigger overwhelming emotional flashbacks. This is because the PTSD-derived inner critic weds shame and self-hate about imperfection to fear of abandonment, and mercilessly drive the psyche with the entwined serpents of perfectionism and endangerment. Recovering individuals must learn to recognize, confront and disidentify from the many inner critic processes that tumble them back in emotional time to the awful feelings of overwhelming fear, self-hate, hopelessness and self-disgust that were part and parcel of their original childhood abandonment.” Pete Walker

PTSD is not a mental illness. It is a psychological injury. I call it an emotional setback. We learn to live in the trauma instead of moving through it.  Few of us who grew up in a home dominated by addiction aren’t PTSD sufferers. It is easy to trace and teach the known healing processes for it. It takes much time and energy to heal. Every trigger avoided is a setback.

1. From the Veterans Affairs website:

For each measure, a brief description, sample items, versions, references, and information on how to obtain the measure are provided.

• Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5)
• SPAN
• SPRINT
• Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ)

PLEASE NOTE: Screens are to be used to determine possible problems, and positive cases should be followed up by assessment with a structured interview for PTSD.

2. From ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America):

Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

3. From PsychCentral:

PTSD Screening Quiz (quick test)