COMMON INDICATORS
INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS
AND FLASHBACKS
Do
you
replay
combat
experiences
in
your
mind,
searching
for
alternate
outcomes?
Do
everyday
experiences
such
as
these
trigger
flashbacks:
The
sound
of
helicopters,
the
smell
of
urine
or
diesel
fuel,
the
smell
of
mould
or
the
odour
of
Asian
foods
being
cooked,
green
tree
lines,
popcorn
popping
or
a
car
backfiring,
rainy
days
or
seeing
refugees especially Vietnamese?
ANGER
Do
you
take
your
anger
out
upon
inanimate
objects?
Upon
loved
ones?
Are
you
subject
to
a
quiet,
masked
rage
which
frightens
you
and
those
around
you?
Are
you
unable
to
identify
or
handle
things
that
frustrate
you?
Is
your
anger
unexplainable
or
inappropriate
/excessive
to
the
situation?
Do
you
believe God abandoned you in Vietnam?
ISOLATION
Do
you
have
very
few
friends?
Do
you
attempt
to
isolate
yourself
from
family
members
either
emotionally
or
geographically?
Do
you
have
a
“leave
me
alone”
attitude
about
your
loved
ones,
or
feel
that
you
are
in
need
of
no
one?
Do
you
sometimes
fantasise
about
becoming
a
hermit,
moving
away
from
your
problems?
Do
you
believe
no
one
can
understand
you
or
would
listen
if
you
tried
to
talk
about
your
experiences?
EMOTIONAL NUMBING
Do
people
see
you
as
cold,
aloof,
uncaring
and
detached?
Do
you
often
fear
losing
control,
or
that
if
you
began
to
release
your
pain,
you
might
never
stop
crying?
Are
you
concerned
about
your
emotional
distance
from
your
children,
or
how
strongly
you
show
your
anger toward them?
ANXIETY AND NERVOUSNESS
Are
you
startled
by
cans
popping,
fireworks
and
other
loud
noises?
Do
these
sounds
jettison
you
into
a
state
of
combat
readiness?
Are
you
uncomfortable
when
people
walk
closely
behind
you
or
sit
next
to
you?
Are
you
generally
suspicious
of
others?
Do
you
feel
you
can
trust
no
one?
Do
you
position
yourself
so
you
can
view
your
exit
all
the
time
and
close
off
approaches from the rear?
EMOTIONAL CONSTRICTION
Are
you
unable
to
talk
about
personal
emotions?
Do
you
find
it
impossible
to
achieve
intimacy
with
your
family,
spouse,
partner
of
friends?
Do
you
repress feelings?
DEPRESSION
Do
you
often
feel
helpless,
worthless
and
dejected?
Are
you
usually
feeling
insecure?
Do
your
feelings
seem
undeserved?
Are
you
sometimes
unable
to
handle
it
when
things
are
going
well,
and
you
try
to
sabotage
your
success
or
well-being?
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Do
you
use
alcohol
or
drugs
regularly?
Do
they
“numb”
your
“pain”,
memories,
or
do
you
use
alcohol
or
drugs
to
relieve
guilt
and
shame?
Do
other
think
you
rely on alcohol or drugs too much?