Resource: The Clinical Science Behind Traumanomics™—Diagnoses, Definitions, and Documentation

Why Clinicians Should Care: Linking Trauma, Economics, and Diagnosis

Traumanomics™ bridges survivor experience with science. For clinicians, this means recognizing that the economic impacts of trauma are not separate from clinical diagnoses—they are a defining feature of many conditions you already treat.

Key Diagnoses in the DSM-5-TR Relevant to Economic Violence & Traumanomics™

1. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [DSM-5-TR, 309.81]

  • Symptoms include intrusive memories, avoidance, negative alterations in mood and cognition, and marked changes in arousal/reactivity.

  • Clinical reality: Financial sabotage, job loss, and repeated “reputational attacks” worsen and prolong PTSD—sometimes becoming a direct trigger for re-experiencing and ongoing hypervigilance.

2. Adjustment Disorder [DSM-5-TR, 309.0x]

  • Emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable stressor (e.g., loss of employment, financial devastation, public shaming).

  • Clinical reality: Economic abuse is a frequent stressor. Many survivors present with anxiety, depression, and functional decline directly linked to economic violence.

3. Other Specified Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorder [DSM-5-TR, 309.89]

  • For cases that don’t fit strict PTSD criteria but show severe reactions to ongoing threats (including financial sabotage, legal harassment, and coercive control).

4. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) [DSM-5-TR, 296.xx]

  • Loss of income, reputation, or security can trigger or worsen depression, increase hopelessness, and erode functioning.

5. Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Coercive Control (V-codes; Z63.0, Z63.5, Z63.8, Z65.8)

  • While not a standalone DSM diagnosis, “V-codes” and Z-codes allow clinicians to document relational and environmental problems affecting health—such as “problems related to unwanted involvement with the legal system” or “economic hardship due to abuse.”

6. Sexual Sadism Disorder [DSM-5-TR, 302.84]=

  • A diagnosis for individuals who derive sexual pleasure from the suffering of others.

  • Clinical reality: Research shows sexual sadists often use economic, legal, and reputational harm as part of their abuse “playbook”—and that the financial devastation is not incidental, but intentional.

Why Clinical Documentation Matters

  • Economic harm is both a cause and a consequence of diagnosable trauma. If you only code for symptoms, you miss the context that drives ongoing suffering.

  • Documenting economic sabotage, legal abuse, and financial control as part of the clinical picture aligns your practice with best practices in trauma-informed care and forensics.

Science-Backed Recommendations for Clinicians

  • Use the TIX Formula and economic harm checklists in your assessments—attach them to your clinical notes as supporting documentation.

  • Screen every trauma survivor for economic violence, coercive control, and legal harassment—even if the client doesn’t “lead with” money problems.

  • Advocate for multidisciplinary intervention: Economic harm predicts chronic PTSD, depression, suicidality, and functional disability.

  • Reference the DSM codes and language above in your documentation to increase legitimacy and support for survivors in courts, disability claims, and institutional settings.

References:

  • DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022)

  • “Financial Abuse and Mental Health” (NCADV, 2019)

  • “Forensic Psychiatry and Economic Violence” (Forensic Psychiatry Reports, 2020)

  • “Trauma, Money, and the Brain” (Harvard Medical School, 2017)

  • “Legal Abuse as a Form of IPV” (Yale Law Journal, 2017)

  • CDC, U.S. Dept. of Labor, National Institutes of Health

This is the new standard:
If you’re not documenting the economics of trauma, you’re missing the full picture.
Traumanomics™ is here to help clinicians, advocates, and survivors finally speak the same language—rooted in science, and ready for justice.

What we’re working on: People who assault are “diagnosable” and victims can “prove” trauma with it.

Clinical Resource: Sexual Sadism Severity Index™ (SSSI)

Why This Matters

Sexual sadism is rarely “all or nothing.” Sexual Sadism Disorder [DSM-5-TR, 302.84]
Scaling the pattern and severity—rather than just checking a box—gives clinicians, advocates, and survivors a language for what’s really happening, and a framework for risk, safety, and justice.

This tool is grounded in forensic psychiatry and trauma science. It empowers both survivors and professionals to recognize, document, and intervene in the realities of sadistic abuse.

Sexual Sadism Severity Index™ (SSSI) — Clinician Tool

For each item, rate the behavior from 0 (never/none) to 4 (extreme/frequent):

Question01234Perpetrator appeared sexually aroused by victim’s pain/humiliationHarm was escalated in response to victim’s distress/resistanceBehaviors became more severe over time Perpetrator showed planning/preparation (brought objects, set up situation, etc.) Lack of remorse; evidence of satisfaction or enjoymentSadistic behavior occurred frequently (not just once)

Score Interpretation

  • 0–4: Low or no sadistic pattern

  • 5–10: Some sadistic features, may be situational

  • 11–16: Clear sadistic intent/pattern

  • 17–24: High-level, predatory sexual sadism (chronic, severe risk)

How to Use This Scale

  • For Professionals:
    Use the SSSI to assess and document the severity and pattern of sadistic behavior in clinical, legal, or advocacy settings. Scores inform risk assessment, legal proceedings, and treatment/referral decisions.

  • For Survivors & Advocates:
    The presence of any high-scoring feature is significant. This tool validates your experience and can be used to support advocacy, protection, and education.