Categorizations of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
First Degree Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
· Stress Exposure: Short to moderate duration.
· Trauma: Limited exposure to traumatic injuries.
· Victim: Mechanic, cook, accident victim, nurse (depending upon duties), battered wives.
· Characteristics: Nurturing personality or employed in a non-combat role.
· Symptoms: Anger, depression, anxiety, and reduced job site effectiveness.
Second Degree Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
· Stress Exposure: Extended exposure to stress.
· Trauma: Typically exposed to extreme cases of trauma.
· Victims: Combat infantry, intensive care nurse, police and firefighters, rape or incest victim, EMT personnel, and battered wives exposed to abuse over long periods.
· Characteristics: Insensitive, history of frequent or multiple tours of duty in combat units, career firefighters and police officer serving in high-risk environment.
· Symptoms: Combative, angry, sleep disorders, suppressed memories, anti-social, experiences flashbacks.
Third Degree Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
· Stress Exposure: Routine exposure over many years.
· Trauma: Routine exposure to severe trauma over many years.
· Victims: Combat leaders, Special Forces personnel, SWAT team members.
· Characteristics: Highly trained professional, impersonal and passionless, takes initiative, insensitive personality.
· Symptoms: Often none for many years, resorts to alcohol as self-medication to control stress and anxiety, considers psychological disorders a sign of weakness, and denies symptoms of PTSD.
Fourth Degree Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
· Stress Exposure: Extensive exposure to intense stress.
· Trauma: Routine exposure to violent trauma.
· Victims: The avenger (Killer Angels – General Lee’s infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia), incest victims exposed to molestation over a period of years, prisoners of war exposed to prolonged torture and deprivation.
· Characteristics: Fights with rage, combat is personal, long history of suffering and personal loss.
· Symptoms: Anger, combative, use of alcohol to control stress or grief, and frequently denies symptoms of disorder.
Fifth Degree Post Traumatic Stress Disorder:
· Stress Exposure: Often life-long exposure to stress.
· Trauma: Extended exposure to multiple forum of trauma.
· Victims: Victims of multiple form of PTSD.
· Characteristics: Incest victim that becomes a combat infantryman in more than one war, or rape victim that works as an intensive care nurse.
· Symptoms: Symptoms may be suppressed for years; later symptoms emerge including uncontrollable anger, history of substance abuse, depression, flashbacks, and sleep disorders
