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DSM-IV 309.81 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Diagnostic Features The essential feature of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is the development of characteristic symptoms following exposure to an extreme traumatic stress involving direct personal experience of an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or other threat to one's physical integrity; or witnessing an event that involves death, injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of another person;

Glossary 309.81: This is the actually number for the diagnosis, e.g., DSM-IV 309.81 Exposure: Many clinicians ASSUME that because exposure to death and destruction is a usual part of the job, that it does not effect law enforcement people. Often, they need to be advised of the facts. Witnessing: Being a witness to these events is a major factor in the onset of PTSD symptoms.

Additional commentary Note: This is know as an "Axis I" (it's the main set of symptoms/problems) diagnosis. But, you can also have a diagnosis of Depression, say, as the MAIN diagnosis, with a secondary, Axis I, as PTSD. If your doctor doesn't put 309.81, PTSD, somewhere in the Axis I diagnosis, he or she is saying you don't have PTSD--this will effect how your case is handled by everyone from the Clinical staff, to the Insurance, to your agency. So be aware of what is put down as your Axis I Diagnosis.

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