How do you know if you have Posttraumatic stress disorder?

my basic question is how do you know if you have Posttraumatic stress disorder and how does it effect you? i think i might just about have this...

PTSD Screening Quiz for Child Injury
For helping to determine whether you or your child have symptoms commonly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/

See Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris on pages 33 - 34, and examine the http://1-800-therapist.com/ website, and use the locators in section 1, and phone book, and/or various associations for psychiatrists and psychologists, to find the nearest one using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy).

If unable to afford it, or to locate one nearby, contact the county/local mental health agency: any therapy on offer may prove helpful, particularly if combined with appropriate medication. (The following is a variant of EMDR therapy, which has been used successfully for those people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, insomnia, and anxiety: it is easily learned, quick to use, yet can be very effective.

It is easy to be dismissive of it, because it may seem a little strange, but is well worth trying, for at least a few weeks, to see how it effective it is in your case). First, sit comfortably, and take a deep breath. Then, without moving your head, move your eyes from the left, to the right, and back again, taking around a second to do so (say: "a thousand and one": this takes approximately a second).

Repeat this procedure (without the words, although you can count, subvocally if you like) 20 times. Then close your eyes and relax. Become aware of any tension or discomfort you feel. Then open your eyes, and take another deep breath, and repeat step one, closing your eyes, and relaxing afterwards, in the same manner. Then, repeat the procedure one last time.

Some people may find that this is all they need do: others find that they need 2 sessions in quick succession, but professional treatment is the best option, if you can access it. With practice, you may find that you can employ this technique with your eyes closed, thereby enabling a much wider window of opportunity to use in public, without attracting unwanted attention.

Certain things that remind you of the trauma will cause you to react in ways that might have been appropriate for the actual situation, but are inappropriate for the triggering situation.

If listening to the fireworks on the 4th makes you think you're surrounded by small arms fire, for example, that would be a pretty good sign you might want to talk to a psych.

Inability to relax in crowds because you have a compulsion to threat assess everything and everyone around you is also a pretty common one that sends people in.

It's not all that obvious, though. You may find yourself grinding your teeth or cotton-mouthed around distinctive pieces of equipment. You may get back to an environment where you feel safe and a lot of tension you didn't realize was there will drain away. And you may get angry about being powerless over having these reactions.

Do you have intense flashbacks where it feels like you are reliving the event?

Even if you don't have PTSD, if you are concerned about your mental health you should tell your GP who can refer you to a psychologist.

u wont know
the doctor will