There are two main "gateway criteria" that a person must experience before they can be diagnosed with PTSD. These criteria are categorised as:

• Threat of death or serious injury and

• Intense fear and a sense of complete helplessness.

An individual can experience the threat of death or serious injury in many situations, an example being when they are involved in a road traffic accident. An individual may be involved in a collision where a truck or another car is flying towards them, leading them to believe they may die or suffer serious injury.

An individual may experience intense fear and a sense of complete helplessness if they are a passenger in a car involved in a road traffic accident. In this instance they could feel completely powerless to stop the accident and fear for their lives.

Witnessing a loved one suffering a serious injury or even death. If they suffer a recognized psychiatric injury as a result of the injury or fear of injury to their close relative who is the victim of an accident. There must be close ties of love and affection between the primary and secondary victim. The injury must arise from the sudden and unexpected shock to their nervous system and they must have been present at the scene of the accident or its immediate aftermath.

These are just a handful of examples of how PTSD may be caused.

If you feel that you are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, it's vital that you speak to your doctor as soon as possible as they are able to diagnose and treat you accordingly. As we have a dedicated team of solicitors with experience in handling PTSD compensation claims we have seen a wide range of different symptoms and have compiled a short list to use as a general guide:

• Sufferers may be experiencing extreme physical reactions when thinking about the traumatic event.

• These symptoms may include nausea, shaking, sweating, increase in heart rate, severe headaches, chest pains and stomach problems

• The individual may have trouble sleeping and suffer from severe nightmares

• They may be feeling depressed leading to feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts

• They may be feeling emotionally detached from individuals and suffer from a lack or complete loss of interest in activities which they would normally enjoy

• They may be extremely irritable and moody

If you would like to speak to someone about claiming compensation for post traumatic stress disorder contact the expert solicitors at Forbes today.

We understand how difficult living with this condition can be, especially if it has been caused by someone else's negligence.