Do You Have PTSD? Take This 15-Question Quiz to Assess Your Symptoms

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. It’s important to recognize the signs of PTSD early, as it can affect your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. This 15-question quiz is designed to help you assess whether you might be experiencing symptoms of PTSD. If you answer "yes" to several of these questions, it may be time to consult with a mental health professional for further evaluation and support.

15-Question PTSD Assessment Quiz

1. Have you experienced or witnessed a traumatic event that caused you distress?

• Yes / No

2. Do you frequently have intrusive memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event?

• Yes / No

3. Do you avoid certain places, people, or activities that remind you of the trauma?

• Yes / No

4. Do you find it difficult to feel emotionally connected or close to others?

• Yes / No

5. Have you experienced nightmares or trouble sleeping due to memories of the traumatic event?

• Yes / No

6. Do you feel on edge, easily startled, or constantly "on guard" (hypervigilant)?

• Yes / No

7. Have you noticed an increase in irritability, anger, or outbursts of rage?

• Yes / No

8. Do you feel numb or detached from your emotions, or as if you’re disconnected from reality?

• Yes / No

9. Do you find it difficult to focus, concentrate, or stay on task due to distressing thoughts?

• Yes / No

10. Have you lost interest in activities you once enjoyed, or withdrawn from social events and interactions?

• Yes / No

11. Do you experience intense feelings of guilt or shame, even though others may not blame you?

• Yes / No

12. Have you experienced physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach issues, or chronic pain related to stress?

• Yes / No

13. Do you engage in risky behaviors or avoid situations that might trigger feelings of anxiety or panic?

• Yes / No

14. Do you have difficulty trusting others, or feel like people may not understand what you’ve been through?

• Yes / No

15. Have you experienced a decline in your overall quality of life (e.g., at work, in relationships, or in your daily activities) due to these symptoms?

• Yes / No

How to Interpret Your Answers

If you answered "Yes" to several of these questions, it’s possible that you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD. PTSD is a serious condition that affects many individuals who have experienced trauma, and it’s important to seek professional help for diagnosis and treatment.

Next Steps: What to Do if You Think You Have PTSD

1. Consult a Healthcare Professional: A licensed therapist, counselor, or psychologist can help assess your symptoms and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

2. Consider Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) are evidence-based therapies that are effective for treating PTSD.

3. Reach Out for Support: If you're feeling isolated, talking to trusted friends or family members can provide emotional support. PTSD can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone.

4. Practice Stress Management: Incorporate relaxation techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness, and yoga to help manage anxiety and physical symptoms.

   
   

When to Seek Immediate Help

If you’ve answered "Yes" to Question 12 ("Have you had thoughts of self-harm or death?") or feel that your symptoms are overwhelming or unbearable, it’s critical to seek immediate help. If you're in crisis, please contact a mental health professional or reach out to a crisis helpline.

In the U.S., you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HELLO to 741741 for immediate support.

👉🏼 THE WORKPLACE AND PTSD: Growing research is beginning to highlight the many overlooked conditions of the workplace that can be traumatic for some workers and even lead to the development of PTSD. Apart from the more overt instances of trauma—from onsite deaths, accidents, injuries, or outbreaks, to exposure to distressing or disturbing situations as a result of the nature of the job (think: social workers, firefighters, journalists)—studies reveal that even toxic work cultures can traumatize workers, from abusive bosses to narcissistic coworkers; heavy workloads and poor work-life boundaries.

Workplace-Induced Trauma: What to Know

Back in March of 2021, in a viral tweet that has since amassed more than 5,000 retweets, 6,000 replies, and nearly 50,000 likes, Desmond Hardy, a keynote speaker and technology strategist, asked: “Has anyone ever had toxic workplace PTSD? Like, the chime sound of an incoming email evokes your ‘fight, flight, or freeze response?’ Just me?”

The responses were astounding:

“I had a coworker who was so abusive that I memorized the sound of her gait down the hall and would lock my office door and turn off my light when I heard her coming,” was one user’s reply.

“I had to quit a job because my boss was so toxic I started developing muscle spasms in my face,” was another’s.

“Yes [and] it’s incredible the amount of trauma that a workplace can make you feel. I have Slack PTSD. I sometimes hear those notifications in my sleep.”

“The fact that my first thought about voicing how much I relate to this was ‘What if the wrong person sees it and things somehow get worse even though I don’t work there anymore?’ just shows the lasting effect of being a part of a toxic and abusive workplace.”

While people often joke about being “scarred” by past jobs and trade horror stories about their “jobs from hell,” the truth is: emotional workplace trauma is real, and it’s rampant. So much so that some have started to use terms like “CTSD: corporate traumatic stress disorder,” and “business” or “career trauma” to describe the long-term psychological damage that many corporate cultures inflict on their workers, from the ‘cult’ of overwork or glorification of workaholism, to the violation of workers’ right to disconnect, and so much more.

What’s important for employers to understand, experts like Asirvatham argue, is that there is no definitive list of triggers for PTSD: it all comes down to an individual’s perceived sense of safety—whether physically or psychologically—and their perceived sense of autonomy or control in maintaining that safety. That said, while one employee may be able to endure a toxic work culture ‘just fine,’ that doesn’t invalidate another’s traumatic response to it.

Emily Fournier

Marketing Specialist

PTSD RESOURCES:

What Is Workplace PTSD — and How Can You Support Your Employees Who Suffer From It: https://lattice.com/articles/what-is-workplace-ptsd-and-how-can-you-support-your-employees-who-suffer-from-it

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

Understanding Workplace Trauma and Work-Related PTSD: https://www.workplaceoptions.com/blog/understanding-workplace-trauma-and-work-related-ptsd/

Darlene Illi, consultant and former 9-1-1 operator: TEDTalk on PTSD prevention at TEDxBearCreekPark back in February of 2020, a mere few weeks shy of a global catastrophe that would dramatically shift our understanding of PTSD and trauma.

How Type of Treatment and Presence of PTSD affect Employment, Self-regulation, and Abstinence: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3552303/

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