What Causes PTSD and Who Can Experience It?

If someone were to ask us, “What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever gone through?” we’d all have an answer.

While stress is something everyone experiences, trauma is not.

People with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have a history of either an isolated moment of trauma or ongoing trauma that significantly impacted their ability to heal emotionally. While stress is frustrating and complicated, trauma is harmful and damaging.

The majority of those who go through traumatic events eventually come to terms with lifestyle adjustments and coping mechanisms that bring them a sense of healing. However, when self-care techniques don’t work, the brain becomes stuck in a rhythm and PTSD develops.

Let’s break down specifically what causes PTSD and who can experience it.

What Causes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can occur after exposure to an extremely stressful or frightening event, or after prolonged exposure to stress or violence. Many people associate PTSD with veterans, but exposure to violence and terrifying experiences is not unique to the military.

Other kinds of events that may lead to PTSD include physical or sexual assault, childhood or domestic abuse, traumatic work events, extensive or severe health problems, experiencing a miscarriage, and emotional abuse.

Why Do Only Some People Experience It?

Not everyone feels trauma after experiencing something frightening or dangerous. About 1 in 3 people who experience trauma develop PTSD. Why is this?

PTSD tends to show more in people who also have depression or anxiety. People without a foundation of support from friends and family are also at risk of developing it.

There are a few theories why PTSD develops…

1. It Betters Our Chances of Surviving Another Incident

One theory revolves around the fact that PTSD functions almost entirely on instinct. By urging us to respond to stress quickly and on impulse, we can theoretically evade danger better next time. (This is known as “hyperarousal”, or an abnormal state of high responsiveness.)

While this rapid response may be helpful in moments of danger, it’s unhelpful in modern, everyday life. It stalls our ability to process and move on from the incident.

2. It Lowers Ability to Feel Physical and Emotional Pain

We know from research that people with PTSD experience abnormal levels of adrenaline (the “fight-or-flight” hormone). Even without a trigger present, people with PTSD tend to produce higher amounts of it than the average person.

Adrenaline helps our bodies dull the impact of physical and emotional pain. This is great for getting out of danger in the moment, but in everyday life, we can experience overly numbed emotions and/or extreme anxiety.

3. It Rewires the Memory and Emotion-Centered Part of the Brain

We know from brain scans that trauma directly affects how well our hippocampus, the emotion and memory hub of the brain, can function. Studies have shown that PTSD can cause shrinkage in the hippocampus, affecting our ability to process memories properly.

A smaller-than-normal hippocampus can explain why people with PTSD experience flashbacks and nightmares. Some theorize that flashbacks are the brain trying to give us more reps and experience battling a trigger before it shows up in our lives again.

However, this only makes it harder for people with PTSD to manage and eliminate their anxiety.

Unhealed emotional trauma can severely impact how well we combat the stressors of average, everyday life. Think of it this way: people with PTSD already have a full cup of trauma to cope with. If the stressors of every day—missing a bill, breaking a household item, or disagreeing with a friend—pile into the cup drop by drop, it will regularly spill over the edge.

This is why PTSD comes with a host of emotional and functional impairments that require deeper healing. To regain a sense of control over your trauma, schedule an appointment with a mental health professional today.

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