I'll tell you about how it works. We're asked to write about part of our military life and to pinpoint when we think our symptoms began. I had so much to write that I no longer knew what to put down. I wrote 50 pages. I submitted my essay to the psychologist, who examined it. After that, the psychologist met with me three times and then referred me to the psychiatrist at Ste. Anne's Hospital. I saw the psychiatrist for almost eight months, and she finally diagnosed me with the disorder.
To answer your question, I have no idea. I told the psychiatrist what had hurt me and affected me and why I woke up every night, hypervigilant and shaking. This is still a common occurrence in my life. I can't sleep with my wife because I'm afraid I'll strangle, suffocate or hit her. People with my condition are afraid of their own shadow, they become hypervigilant. Keep in mind that our experiences have turned most of us into time bombs.
How is PTSD assessed? I don't know. They determine that we exhibit port-traumatic stress symptoms at a certain level. We're talking about medical findings. In my case, after prescribing me 35 different kinds of pills, which were not always the right ones, I should point out, they came to the conclusion that I was suffering from 50% PTSD. I think I might be at 90%. Who knows?