Are your symptoms possibly signs of PTSD after your child's cancer diagnosis?

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Quiz Questions

1.
Has it been over 1 month since your child's diagnosis?
- A.
  Yes, it's been over a month.
- B.
  No, it's been less than 30 days.
2.
Were you repeatedly exposed to watching your child suffer through hospital treatment and the adverse side effects or witness the death of your child?
- A.
  Yes, I was always at the hospital as the primary caregiver and witnessed my child in great pain or witnessed my child pass away.
- B.
  Mostly. I saw the struggles at home, but didn't quite witness all the pain and suffering from their treatments in the hospital environment
- C.
  No
3.
How many of the following symptoms do you frequently experience?
- A.
  Recurring thoughts and memories of diagnosis day, surgeries, replaying thoughts on how you missed the signs
- B.
  Nightmares or dreams about the distressing moments related to the diagnosis and treatment
- C.
  Having flashbacks - feeling as if the traumatic event was recurring, much like daydreaming about the events that folded and your body physically reliving through intense emotions
- D.
  Getting triggered and having an intense or prolonged Psychological response at seeing things that remind you of treatment, including but not limited to any of the following: smells, ambulances, hospitals, needles, numbing cream or Cling wrap for example.
- E.
  A physical response to an internal or external reminder of the distress caused by cancer.
- F.
  None of the above
4.
Select the following ways in which you may try to avoid reliving the trauma ....
- A.
  I avoid distressing memories, thoughts or feelings
- B.
  I avoid things that remind me of the cancer experience, including people, places, conversations, or activities
- C.
  Avoid? Nope! I can keep calm through the memories and don't mind engaging in activities that remind me of our trauma experience
5.
I often can't remember events that occurred during the time of treatment.
- A.
  True, I can't seem to remember important details
- B.
  False, my memory is as great as an elephant's!
6.
I have one or more of the following persistent negative beliefs or expectations about myself or others:
- A.
  It's my fault
- B.
  The world or my child's body is not safe
- C.
  Nobody can be trusted
- D.
  I am failing and should be doing better
- E.
  I don't know how I can ever recover from this
- F.
  I have ruined or traumatized my children through how I did or did not behave through the crisis.
- G.
  Other negative belief
- H.
  TWO or more of the above
- I.
  No negative beliefs that I can think of!
7.
How often do you experience feeling that you are to blame for your child's illness?
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
8.
Do you feel persistent anger, fear, sadness, horror, guilt, shame or other negative feelings?
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
9.
I often feel terrified or afraid.
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
10.
I have lost interest in significant activities, including cooking, cleaning, meeting with friends, or other leisure activities.
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
11.
How often do you feel like you can't relate to others anymore, so you begin to avoid the interaction with those people?
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
12.
Since my child's diagnosis....
- A.
  I am more irritable and have anger outbursts (verbal and/or physical)
- B.
  I am self medicating with drugs or alcohol
- C.
  I am hyper-vigilant to every ache and pain
- D.
  I struggle with concentration and focus
- E.
  I struggle to sleep (outside of the hospital setting)
- F.
  I am easily startled
- G.
  TWO or more of the above
- H.
  None of the above
13.
I feel like I am detached from myself, watching and observing our life from the outside, like it is a dream.
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
14.
Do you fear that you will completely lose control?
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
15.
Do you find it difficult to breathe ?
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
16.
Are you often in distress for fear of a relapse or your child's risk of death?
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
17.
My relationship with my significant other has declined since diagnosis.
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  A little bit
- C.
  Significantly declined
- D.
  It feels like its over
- E.
  We decided to part ways and end the relationship
18.
I feel like my parenting ability has suffered.
- A.
  Not at all
- B.
  Sometimes
- C.
  Most of the time
- D.
  All the time
19.
Overall, I feel I manage my emotions and thoughts well.
- A.
  Not at all. I struggle significantly to keep them in check
- B.
  Sometimes. I still feel like I struggle around anniversaries and scans and medical procedures.
- C.
  Most of the time. Every once in a blue moon, I have a rough day.
- D.
  All the time. I can't remember the last time I was anxious about it!

Quiz Outcomes

1.
SIGNS POINT TO PTSD
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You appear to be experiencing several symptoms that indicate that you may be experiencing PTSD. **This is not a formal diagnosis. you must consult with a qualified professional for a formal diagnosis****The experience of having a child go through a life threatening illness has left you physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually rattled. The intrusive symptoms are changing your ability to feel in control of your thoughts and emotions. You may feel that your relationships, your quality of life, and your ability to handle stress has all taken a hit. You may find you are having difficulty focusing, sleeping or relating with others. You may have concerns of having excessive worry and intrusive thoughts. You wonder if it will ever get better. What do you do now? You could benefit from therapy and education about PTSD. You can also benefit from learning effective coping techniques. It is important that you are paying attention to your thoughts to make sure they do not further add to your anxiety. Seeking help should be a high priority, because "the body keeps the score" and time alone will not likely heal this type of response completely. Click on the link below to learn how Hope. Cope. Heal. can help you start your healing journey today!
2.
ACUTE STRESS
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You are likely suffering from Acute Stress disorder.Your exposure to your child's cancer or other critical illness has left an impact, and you may be at risk for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), but the symptoms have not persisted long enough or severely enough to slide you into the PTSD zone. In PTSD, symptoms must persist for more than a month. Look, we all know that you are in this for a while, and you might go into "Survival" mode or "feel nothing" mode to keep it together until you feel safer to feel those feelings. The reality is, many people will notice a decrease in their ability to maintain a sense of control of their environment and their emotions. They also notice that their relationships suffer. They also struggle with their ability to focus at work or stay present in the tasks needed to run a home. What do you need to know?Before things get worse, it is even more critical to work through your experience, gain new coping tools and find ways to maintain balance, control and connection. Waiting until the end shouldn't be the only option. Good news is-- help is just a click away! Click on the link below to learn about how Hope. Cope. Heal. can help you start your healing journey today and help you proactively build resilience through your experience!
3.
POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS
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You are likely suffering Post Traumatic Stress "Symptoms" from the trauma you experienced, but you don't quite meet a full diagnosis for PTSD.That doesn't mean that your feelings, response and experience aren't valid. It also doesn't mean that there isn't cause for some concern, but the good news is it's not likely full fledge PTSD. Your exposure to cancer has left an impact, and you may be at risk for developing PTSD in the future if you do nothing to process your experience. The reality is, many people will notice a decrease in their ability to maintain a sense of control of their environment and their emotions. They also notice that their relationships suffer. They also struggle with their ability to focus at work or stay present in the tasks needed to run a home. What you should knowBefore things get worse, it is even more critical to work through your experience, gain new coping tools and find ways to maintain balance, control and connection. Waiting until the feelings are too overwhelming shouldn't be the only option. Click on the link below to learn about how Hope. Cope. Heal. can help you start your healing journey today!
4.
YOU ARE RESILIENTLY COPING!
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Whew! As of now, you seem to be managing your Post trauma symptoms after a child's critical illness diagnosis. You appear to have a few symptoms, but you also seem to be coping without any significant distress in most areas of your life. Maybe some of the questions made you reflect on how well you truly are doing. If there are areas of your life that you feel you would like to explore the impact that cancer had, such as your relationship with your spouse/significant other, extended family, or friends, your feeling of survivor's guilt, or your parenting approach, finding an EMDR trained therapist could be very helpful! Maybe you would like to be a source of support for others or just have a space to learn some new skills to live a more resilient life. VOLUNTEERING: Hit the link below if you would like to learn about the opportunities to join other parents who are working towards healing the impact of having a child diagnosed with a critical illness through Hope. Cope. Heal.

Are your symptoms possibly signs of PTSD after your child's cancer diagnosis?

Take the quiz to find out!

Quiz Questions

Quiz Outcomes