Which of the following is NOT a main category of PTSD symptoms?

• A. Reexperiencing
• B. Avoiding reminders
• C. Hyperarousal
• D. Hallucinations

Answer: (D)

Hallucinations are not a main category of PTSD symptoms. PTSD is organized into clusters such as reexperiencing, avoidance of reminders, hyperarousal, and negative alterations in cognition and mood. Hallucinations—perceptions without real stimuli—are characteristic of psychotic disorders or certain dissociative conditions, not the core PTSD symptom groups. When someone with trauma exposure reports hallucinations, it prompts evaluation for another diagnosis or a comorbidity, rather than a PTSD cluster. The other options fit the established PTSD clusters: reexperiencing includes intrusive memories or flashbacks, avoidance involves steering away from reminders of the trauma, and hyperarousal covers sleep disturbance, irritability, and heightened startle.