I'm Dr. Ellen Hendrickson and you're listening to episode 16 of the savvy psychologist.

I'll help you meet life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

We'll use the best of psychology to help you be happy, healthy, and most importantly yourself.

This week on the savvy psychologist we'll identify the four symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD,

plus a fifth symptom that occurs in some cases.

Next week, we'll talk about how healing occurs

and what you can do to offer support to someone with PTSD, plus what not to do.

The idea for these two podcasts comes from listener Phoebe Gavin of New York City.

In addition to being an Iraq war veteran, Phoebe is a member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, or IAVA, the first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan association for new veterans.

So thank you, Phoebe, and all your fellow veterans for your service.

Let's begin with two adapted from real life stories to paint a more accurate picture of PTSD. We'll start with

Kim. Kim is a 26-year-old former patient of mine. As a child, her alcoholic parents left her alone for long stretches of time, and even when they

were present, they were often too drunk to notice anything.

A male neighbor took advantage of the situation and molested came for several years.

Kim was functional though promiscuous through high school, but when she saw the neighbor at a local

car wash several years ago, something snapped.

When Kim first started coming to therapy,

she was having nightmares, flashbacks, and panic attacks

almost every day.

Seeing any unfamiliar man, even at grocery store

checkout clerk, automatically triggered the thought

that he was going to force himself on her.

...