<b><i>Background:</i></b> Many people experience stressful life events like social conflicts, accidents, or physical violence. Some develop post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) thereafter. A diagnostic problem is the differentiation between causal stressful events, occasional causes, pseudo-causes or retrospective reinterpretations. This study investigates how often the diagnosis PTSD is mentioned in outpatient behavioral therapy patients, and which causes, findings, and therapeutic measures are reported. <b><i>Patients and Method:</i></b> In 1,480 behavioral therapy case reports the assignment of the diagnosis PTSD was explored. Cases with PTSD (<i>N</i> = 106) were compared with other cases without PTSD (<i>N</i> = 95). <b><i>Results:</i></b> In 7.16% the diagnosis PTSD was given. In both groups 90% reported earlier stressful experiences. In only 17% of the PTSD cases an “extraordinary threat of catastrophic proportions” was reported. In a quarter, the trauma assumption was based only on therapist or patient suggestions. Dissociative symptoms or intrusion were described only in the PTSD cases. <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> The data suggest that (a) almost all patients report stressful experiences, (b) the diagnosis of PTSD is given only in a limited number of patients, (c) in PTSD cases, intrusion and dissociation are reported only in a minority of cases, and (d) in PTSD cases, the full spectrum of exposure techniques is mentioned. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Stress-associated disorders need precise description and differentiation.