DSM in Pictures: PTSD (Clinical Edition)
A visual guide to the DSM-5 criteria, made to share with your clients
Diagnosis can feel mysterious. This resource is meant to help demystify what goes into a PTSD diagnosis.
DSM in Pictures: PTSD walks through the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder visually, one criterion at a time. It translates the clinical language of the DSM-5 into images and plain explanations, and it frames PTSD as a nervous system trying to keep someone safe, not as something broken in them.
The Clinical Edition comes with a license that lets you bring it directly into your work. You can use it when explaining PTSD to clients or walking through how they meet criteria.
What it is
A visual, image-forward guide to the DSM-5 criteria for PTSD, created by Dr. Megan Anna Neff, a neurodivergent clinical psychologist.
It uses the direct language of the DSM for educational accuracy, while gently naming where that language is pathologizing and does not tell the whole story.
What’s inside
- A plain-language overview of PTSD as a nervous system response, including how hyperarousal, adrenaline, and the brain’s safety alarm fit together
- Criterion A explained visually: the forms trauma exposure can take, with a note that Autistic people can develop PTSD symptoms even when full criteria are not met
- Criterion B, intrusion symptoms: memories, nightmares, flashbacks, and bodily reactions to reminders
- Criterion C, avoidance: the strategies people use to steer away from distressing memories and reminders
- Criterion D, altered beliefs, mood, and memory: the shifts in self-concept, emotion, and connection that often follow trauma
- Criterion E, hyperarousal: hypervigilance, startle response, sleep disturbance, and concentration difficulties
- Criteria F through H: the one-month duration that distinguishes PTSD from acute stress disorder, plus distress and rule-out criteria
Who it’s for
Clinicians, assessors, and coaches who want a clear, affirming psychoeducation tool to use in session, and a way to demystify what goes into a PTSD diagnosis.
It is especially useful for clients who process visually, who are making sense of a trauma response for the first time, or who find it steadying to understand their symptoms as a nervous system doing its job rather than a personal failing.
What the Clinical License allows
The Clinical + Commercial License is built for use with your own clients. With it, you can:
- Share PDF copies with your clients through secure, private links or email
- Print copies for in-person sessions
- Screen share during telehealth or coaching
- Fold the resource into your ongoing clinical or coaching work
The license covers one provider. Group settings like therapy groups are fine. For group practices or multiple-provider licenses, you can reach the team at support@neurodivergentinsights.com.
Format and access
A digital PDF download, designed to be read on screen, printed, or shared. Visual-forward and built with cognitive accessibility in mind, with short sections and clear structure so it is usable even on a low-capacity day.
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