Criterion A. The clinical presentation of PTSD  varies. In some individuals, fear-based re-
experiencing, emotional, and behavioral sy mptoms may predominate. In others, anhe-
donic or dysphoric mood states and negative cognitions may be most distressing. In some
other individuals, arousal an d reactive-externalizing symptoms are prominent, while in
others, dissociative symptoms predominate. Finally, some individuals exhibit combina-
tions of these symptom patterns. 
The directly experienced traumatic events in  Criterion A include, but are not limited
to, exposure to war as a combatant or civilian,  threatened or actual physical assault (e.g.,
physical attack, robbery, mugging, childhood phy sical abuse), threatened or actual sexual
violence (e.g., forced sexual penetration, al cohol/drug-facilitated se xual penetration, abu-
sive sexual contact, noncontact sexual abuse,  sexual trafficking), being kidnapped, being
taken hostage, terrorist attack, torture, incarc eration as a prisoner of war, natural or hu-
man-made disasters, and severe motor vehicle accidents. For children, sexually violent
events may include developmentally inapprop riate sexual experiences without physical
violence or injury. A life-threatening illness or debilitating medical condition is not neces-
sarily considered a traumatic event. Medical in cidents that qualify as traumatic events in-
volve sudden, catastrophic ev ents (e.g., waking during su rgery, anaphylactic shock).
Witnessed events include, but are not limited to, observing threatened  or serious injury,
unnatural death, physical or sexual abuse of another person due to violent assault, domes-
tic violence, accident, war or di saster, or a medical catastrophe  in one’s child (e.g., a life-