Unfortunately, researchers are still trying to figure out what causes someone to develop post-traumatic stress disorder rather than cope normally with a stressful event. Until now, they can’t still provide answers. However, they have proposed that PTSD, like most mental illnesses, is most likely caused by a complex mix of different factors that vary from person to person. These factors include the patient’s temperament and life experiences, changes in the natural changes of the patient’s brain, biology and genetics.
Although experts are yet to discover its causes, they have already come up with a list of risk factors involved in making a person more likely to get this anxiety disorder. PTSD can be experienced by people of all ages. It’s more common in adults than in children. It is especially common among people who have been to war and served in combat. It is also called “battle fatigue,” “combat stress,” or “shell shock.”
PTSD patients are likely to have experienced one of the four types of traumatic events. These four include seeing someone getting badly injured or killed, being in combat, surviving a life-threatening accident, and living through a natural disaster or a fire. Other traumatic events that can lead to PTSD are rape, robbery, civil conflict, car accident, assault, plane crash, kidnapping, torture, childhood physical abuse, sexual molestation, life-threatening medical diagnosis, and many others.
However, experiencing one of these events does not mean developing PTSD. There are several factors that can make a traumatic event trigger PTSD. If you have an existing mental health condition, you are more likely to develop PTSD. Lack of good support system of friends and family is also a factor. If the traumatic event is especially intense or severe and long-lasting, PTSD can be experienced. Another important risk factor is having a family member with a history of PTSD or depression.
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