Controversial Call In NFL Game Raises PTSD Question

An NFL referee who made the now infamous “Fail Mary” call in 2012 claims he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, which begs the question, what is PTSD and who can be diagnosed with it?

Traditionally, PTSD has been seen as relating to military experience. But veterans are not the only people who can suffer PTSD. The condition can result from incidents such as sexual assaults, car accidents, assaults and natural disasters, explains Mayer Bellehsen, PhD, director of the Mildred & Frank Feinberg Division of the Unified Behavioral Health Center in Bay Shore.

You can even witness a traumatic event or experience bullying and, depending on the situation, it can be considered PTSD, explains Scott Krakower, DO, psychiatrist at theZucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks.

The American Psychiatric Association revised its criteria for what is considered PTSD in 2013. To have this disease, someone has to have been exposed to a stressful event. Some new symptoms of PTSD were added, including a person disproportionately blaming themselves or others; destructive behavior and persistent negative emotions.

“With the new DSM-V guidelines for PTSD, there is more clarity with how to give the diagnosis of PTSD,” Dr. Krakower says. “Clinicians should use the diagnosis of PTSD judiciously, as it will inform appropriate medical treatments for the patients.”

Some treatments for PTSD include trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy and medications.

It is also important that the term PTSD not become something that is over-diagnosed or something that becomes a catch-all term because it diminishes the importance of the disease and diagnosis and can have a negative impact on people who truly have PTSD. There are other diagnoses that may fit someone’s reaction to a stressful event, including depression, anxiety, situational stress or an adjustment disorder, Dr. Krakower notes.

If you think yourself or a loved one has PTSD or another psychiatric disorder, consult a psychologist or psychiatrist to set up a treatment path.