Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a medical mystery that is yet to be fully understood. Not everyone exposed to trauma develops PTSD, but those with PTSD have been exposed to trauma. Furthermore, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder triggers and PTSD symptoms are wide-ranging. Please take a few minutes to read about the classification, causes, and symptoms of PTSD to better understand and seek PTSD telehealth treatment
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also frequently referred to by the initials PTSD, is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as “a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.” If someone experiences an extreme state of trauma there can be long-term, lingering effects. Even more alarming, CPTSD, or Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the result of repeated or ongoing trauma.
Within the health and treatment field, other terminology and codes may be associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and CPTSD which may seem overwhelming at first glance. Two common codes you may see associated with a PTSD diagnosis are DSM-5 and an ICD 10 code that each serve unique purposes. The DSM-5 is a classification system for describing and diagnosis of mental disorders. Under DSM-5, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has multiple criteria.
DSM-5 Classification of PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder DSM-5 is a diagnosis tool that uses criteria in diagnosing PTSD symptoms. According to Brainline, there are 8 criteria.
- The first criteria is a “stressor,” such as what traumatic event the individual was exposed to, such as death, assault, or even extreme threat. The exposure can also range from direct exposure to witnessing or indirect exposure, such as hearing about the stressor.
- The second criterion includes intrusion symptoms, such as flashbacks, nightmares, and emotional distress after a reminder of a traumatic experience.
- A third criterion, avoidance, tracks how the diagnosed avoids trauma-related stimuli. This is either the avoiding of trauma-related thoughts and feelings or the avoiding of trauma-related external reminders.
- The fourth criterion is the negative alterations in mood and cognition. So things like negative feelings and complications may arise with cognition issues. This includes feelings of isolation, a sense of blame, and overly negative thoughts.
- A fifth criterion includes alterations in arousal and reactivity, such as irritability, self-destructive behavior, and hypervigilance.
The final three criteria are fairly simple: Have the symptoms persisted for more than a month? Do the symptoms impair life? Are the symptoms not due to medication, substance abuse, or other illnesses? As you can see, when it comes to the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder DSM-5 a great deal of information is used. What about an ICD 10 code, though?
What is that?
ICD 10
A Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ICD 10 code refers to a medical classification system by the World Health Organization or WHO. ICD is short for the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ICD 10 codes are unique because they are used for classification and billing purposes in medical practice.
According to ICD.Codes, there are three ICD 10 codes used for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that used.
- F43.10, post-traumatic stress disorder, for an unspecified diagnosis
- F43.11, post-traumatic stress disorder, for an acute diagnosis
- F43.12, post-traumatic stress disorder, for a chronic diagnosis
What Causes PTSD?
There are numerous potential causes of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to the Nation Health Service of the United Kingdom, this can include:
- Major Accidents
- Abuse (childhood and other)
- Childbirth and complications
- Health problems
- Torture
- War and Conflict
- Word-related Trauma
What is key is that if an event is traumatic enough then it can linger and become Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Generally speaking, 1 in 3 people who experience severe trauma develop PTSD, according to the national health Service. Seeking in-person or PTSD telehealth treatment is recommended to alleviate PTSD symptoms and identify PTSD triggers.
Some people, however, do not develop PTSD after a severely traumatic event. This is because certain factors are more likely to play a part in whether someone develops Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, some risk factors include:
- Surviving dangerous events or traumas
- Being hurt or seeing someone else hurt (or seeing a dead body)
- Experiencing childhood and developmental trauma
- Experiencing horror, helplessness, and extreme fear
- Lacking proper social support
- Dealing with stress after the event, such as grief or debilitating injury
- Having a history of factors such as substance abuse or mental illness
What Are Some PSTD statistics?
According to the Lone Survivor Foundation, veterans are particularly prone to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. Many of these statistics are quite shocking. For example, 30% of Vietnam veterans have diagnosed PTSD. However, while veterans have a likely higher percentage of developing PTSD, any person runs the risk of experiencing trauma.
According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, more than 8 million Americans over the age of 18 have PTSD. Furthermore, 67% percent of people exposed to mass violence have an increased chance of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at a higher rate than people exposed to other types of traumatic events.
What Are Some PTSD triggers?
A number of potential triggers exist for individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These PTSD triggers include:
- People, places, and things – Seeing certain people, locations, and objects associated with past trauma can be enough to trigger PTSD symptoms.
- The five senses – Our major senses that allow us to experience the world can also work as PTSD triggers. The senses include seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling.
- Dates and times – Key dates and times can also trigger PTSD. For example, an anniversary of a death or accident.
If you or someone you know is showing PTSD symptoms related to such triggers, have a discussion about options with someone you trust. The team at New Age Psychiatry offer PTSD treatment and other services.
What to Do About PTSD
PTSD telehealth treatment in an available resource that can improve PTSD symptoms and identify PTSD triggers.
Recent Comments