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Can you fake PTSD?

+1 vote
asked Nov 19, 2015 in PTSD by anonymous

1 Answer

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Yes, you can fake some symptoms of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). However, it is difficult to fake the hyperarousal symptoms that are present with PTSD, as the hyperarousal is from the activation of the fight or flight response, and this is under involuntary control. In other words, the fight or flight response is a reflex, and we can't activate it consciously.

So you can fake the history of nightmares and flashbacks, and you can fake the avoidance. But you really can't fake the hyperarousal and hypervigilance that is a central feature of PTSD. If you fake the recollection of the trauma, and fake the avoidance of any reminders of the trauma, then you risk being caught for fraud, as the psychiatrist who follows you will pick up on your lack of hyperarousal symptoms.

answered Dec 3, 2015 by drcarlo (298,060 points)
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