PTSD Causes

Originally, PTSD was applied to the military experience, but in fact, there are many traumatic events that cause the disorder. According to Sidran Foundation (one of our leading trauma organizations) the anxiety disorder PTSD appears in “Anyone who has been victimized or has witnessed a violent act, or who has been repeatedly exposed to life-threatening situations.”

General PTSD

This includes survivors of:

  • causes-simone-lomoloveDomestic or intimate partner violence
  • Rape or sexual assault or abuse
  • Physical assault such as mugging or carjacking
  • Other random acts of violence such as those that take place in public, in schools, or in the workplace
  • Children who are neglected or sexually, physically, or verbally abused, or adults who were abused as children

Survivors of unexpected events in everyday life such as:

  • Car accidents or fires
  • Natural disasters, such as tornadoes or earthquakes
  • Major catastrophic events such as a plane crash or terrorist act
  • Disasters caused by human error, such as industrial accidents, medical mistakes
  • Combat veterans or civilian victims of war
  • Those diagnosed with a life-threatening illness or who have undergone invasive
    medical procedures
  • Professionals who respond to victims in trauma situations, such as, emergency medical service workers, police, firefighters, military, and search and rescue workers
  • People who learn of the sudden unexpected death of a close friend or relative

 

C-PTSD

According to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs: “Judith Herman notes that during long-term traumas, the victim is generally held in a state of captivity, physically or emotionally. In these situations the victim is under the control of the perpetrator and unable to flee.”

bridge-jmhdezhdezExamples of captivity include:

  • Concentration camps
  • Prisoner of War camps
  • Prostitution brothels
  • Long-term domestic violence
  • Long-term, severe physical abuse
  • Child sexual abuse
  • Organized child exploitation rings

 

Combat PTSD

combat-troops-dvidshub“Reaction to the extremes of combat cause physical changes in the brain,” says Dr. John Fortunato with Beaumont Army Medical Center. A part of the brain responsible for the “fight or flight” response can grow in size by as much as 8 percent, while the part of the brain that takes time to analyze a threatening situation can shrink by as much as 12 percent.

“The longer a person is exposed to an environment where they must be hypervigilant to stay alive, the more pronounced the changes,” he continued.  The good news, Fortunato said, is that the brain can normalize over time.

(Photos: Simone LomoLove, jmhdezhdez, DVIDSHUB)