Trauma
When traumatic events happen, they often cause intrusive thoughts and nightmares, stress and extreme uneasiness at the thought of going outside of your comfort zone. You may stay clear of many otherwise normal situations because they remind you of what happened. But if you find yourself constantly thinking back to what happened long after it has passed -- so much so that you don’t feel like yourself, you don’t do the things you used to do -- you may have post-traumatic stress disorder.
When stressful experiences involves death, serious injury or violence against you or someone dear to you, they are traumatic. These experiences can sometimes cause problems long after the moment has passed. Please consider each question and answer “yes” or “no”.
The traumatic event you experienced was______________________.
| Questions | Yes | No |
| Do you find yourself thinking about and/or reliving the experience (in dreams, memories, flashbacks, strong emotions)? | ||
| Do you find yourself avoiding things that remind you of the experience, such as people, places, conversations, objects, activities or situations? | ||
| Do you have more pessimistic feelings than before (for example: “I am a bad person, no one can be trusted, the world is a completely dangerous place”)? | ||
| Do you blame yourself (or someone else) for your negative experience? | ||
| Do you not “feel like yourself”? Have you stopped doing the things you used to enjoy? | ||
| Do you take unnecessary risks that may result in harm to you? | ||
| Do you feel jumpy, paranoid or on guard? | ||
| Do you have trouble sleeping, staying awake or concentrating during the day? |
Click Here to download a printable survey.
Please note: This is not a formal diagnostic tool but can be a useful conversation starter with your doctor or therapist. Feel free to print this out and bring it to your next appointment.
Moral Injury
People whose jobs involve life or death choices are at a higher risk for moral injury: a condition characterized by feelings of intense guilt, shame and self-loathing over a real or perceived mistake resulting in something terrible happening. Moral injury is related to PTSD and often mistaken for it.
Please consider each question and answer “yes” or “no”.
| Questions | Yes | No |
| Have you ever had people get hurt or die because of something you did (or failed to do)? | ||
| Do you feel like you’re living a lie, and that if those around you knew your secret, they would be shocked and horrified at who you “really” are? | ||
| Do you attempt to isolate yourself from those you love because you don’t feel like you belong among good people? | ||
| Do you feel guilty when good things happen to you, so much that you sometimes sabotage those outcomes? | ||
| Do you believe that you should have died or been seriously injured instead of someone else? | ||
| Do you fear for the safety of those you love because you believe they will be punished for what you did (or failed to do)? | ||
| Does it feel as if you could never be forgiven for what you did (or failed to do) no matter what you try to do to make up for it? | ||
| For Combat Veterans: Do you feel shame or guilt from “overdoing it” in combat and/or enjoying it at the time? |
Click Here to download a printable survey.
Please note: This is not a formal diagnostic tool but can be a useful conversation starter with your doctor or therapist. Feel free to print this out and bring it to your next appointment.
Treatments for Trauma & Moral Injury
Posttraumatic Stress – Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Moral Injury – Adaptive Disclosure