Trauma Survivors Network - provided by ATS

Survive. Connect. Rebuild.

A Program of the ATS

Questions for the Patient to ask Himself or Herself

General Questions:

  • How will I make sure the doctors and nurses understand what I want?
  • How will I make sure I get the support of my family and friends?
  • How long do I want to stay in the hospital?
  • What am I most afraid of and how will I get help to reduce this fear?
  • Do I feel depressed and/or anxious?
  • If so, should I talk to someone about this?
  • How will I get other opinions on what should be done for my condition?
  • Is my insurance covering all of my medical care in the hospital?
  • Will my medical insurance cover the services I need when I leave the hospital?
  • How important are independence and self-sufficiency in my life?
  • What kind of living environment is most important to me?
  • How do I imagine my life in the future?
  • How do my personal relationships affect my decisions about treatment options?
  • How do my financial constraints affect my decisions about treatment options?
  • How do my religious beliefs affect my decisions about treatment options?
  • How much medical information do I want to share with family and friends?
  • Do I understand what medication I am taking and why?

     

    Questions After Trauma:

  • Do I have symptoms of re-living the traumatic event?
  • Do I have bad dreams or nightmares about the event or something similar?
  • Am I behaving or feeling as if the event were actually happening all over again?
  • Am I having a lot of emotional feelings when I am reminded of the event?
  • Do I have a lot of physical sensations when I am reminded of the event (e.g., my heart races or pounds, I sweat, find it hard to breathe, feel faint, feel like I'm going to lose control)?
  • Am I avoiding thoughts, conversations, or feelings that remind me about the event?
  • Am I avoiding people, places, or activities that remind me of the event?
  • Am I having difficulty remembering some important part(s) of the event?
  • Have I lost interest in, or just don't do, things that used to be important to me?
  • Am I feeling detached from people or find it hard to trust people?
  • Do I feel emotionally "numb" and find it hard to have loving feelings even toward those who are emotionally close to me?
  • Do I have a hard time falling or staying asleep?
  • Am I irritable and have problems with my anger?
  • Am I having a hard time concentrating?
  • Do I think I may not live very long and feel there's no point in planning for the future?
  • Am I jumpy, and do I get startled easily?
  • Do I feel I am always "on guard?”