PTSD: Part 1
Understanding PTSD: Part 1 — What It Is, What Causes It, and How It Affects the Person
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, better known as PTSD, is one of the most complex and misunderstood mental health conditions affecting millions of people around the world. Though often associated with combat veterans, PTSD can arise from any traumatic experience—from car accidents and natural disasters to personal assaults or childhood abuse.
In this three-part series, we’ll dive deep into the world of PTSD—what it is, where it comes from, how it affects people, and what treatment options exist. This first installment focuses on understanding the definition, causes, and lived experience of PTSD.
🧠 What Is PTSD?
PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as:
A serious accident
Physical or sexual assault
War or combat
Terrorist acts
Natural disasters
The sudden death of a loved one
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), PTSD is classified as a trauma- and stressor-related disorder. Unlike normal stress reactions, PTSD symptoms persist for more than one month, cause significant distress, and impair a person’s ability to function in daily life.
Key Symptoms of PTSD fall into four major categories:
Intrusion (e.g., flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts)
Avoidance (e.g., steering clear of reminders of the trauma)
Negative changes in cognition and mood (e.g., shame, detachment, distorted beliefs)
Changes in arousal and reactivity (e.g., hypervigilance, insomnia, angry outbursts)
📈 How Common Is PTSD?
PTSD affects approximately 6% of adults in the U.S. at some point in their lives, according to the National Center for PTSD. Each year, an estimated 5% of U.S. adults experience PTSD. The condition is twice as common in women as in men, likely due to differences in trauma types and social support dynamics [1].
🔍 What Causes PTSD?
PTSD doesn’t happen to everyone who experiences trauma. There’s no single “recipe” that causes PTSD, but several risk factors increase the likelihood of developing it. These include:
1. Severity and Duration of Trauma
More intense or prolonged exposure to trauma, especially life-threatening situations or repeated trauma (e.g., childhood abuse), significantly increases PTSD risk.
2. Type of Trauma
Interpersonal traumas—such as rape, assault, or intimate partner violence—are more likely to lead to PTSD than non-interpersonal traumas like natural disasters [2].
3. Pre-existing Mental Health Conditions
People with a history of anxiety, depression, or substance abuse are more vulnerable to PTSD.
4. Lack of Social Support
After trauma, feeling alone or unsupported can deepen distress and worsen long-term outcomes.
5. Biological Factors
Genetics may play a role—research suggests that differences in brain structure and function, particularly in areas like the amygdala and hippocampus, contribute to PTSD development. People with PTSD often have a more sensitive stress-response system and altered levels of stress hormones like cortisol [3].
🌪️ What PTSD Feels Like: The Lived Experience
PTSD doesn’t look the same for everyone. It can feel like living in a state of constant danger, even when nothing is threatening you.
Here are a few examples of what PTSD might feel like:
🔁 Intrusive Re-experiencing
A woman who survived a car crash may relive the moment every time she hears screeching tires—even if she’s just crossing the street.
🚫 Avoidance Behaviors
A combat veteran might avoid watching action movies or attending fireworks shows—not because they dislike them, but because they trigger overwhelming memories of war.
😔 Emotional Numbing and Shame
A sexual assault survivor may withdraw from loved ones, struggling with feelings of guilt, self-blame, and detachment from reality.
⚠️ Hyperarousal
A man who experienced a home invasion might suffer from sleep problems, irritability, and exaggerated startle responses—his body constantly on high alert, even in safe environments.
🧩 PTSD Can Be Hidden
Because PTSD affects emotional, mental, and physical health, it often goes undetected—especially in marginalized groups or in people who hide their symptoms. This includes:
Veterans who fear stigma
Children who can’t explain their emotions
First responders who think distress is “part of the job”
People of color, immigrants, or LGBTQ+ individuals, who may face additional layers of trauma and discrimination
🧠 PTSD Changes the Brain
Neuroimaging studies show that PTSD literally rewires the brain. Three key regions involved are:
Amygdala: the brain’s “alarm center,” becomes hyperactive, leading to intense fear responses
Hippocampus: involved in memory; may shrink in size, affecting how traumatic memories are stored
Prefrontal Cortex: responsible for rational thinking and emotional regulation, can become underactive
This neurological disruption explains why PTSD is not simply about “being upset” but a biological and psychological disorder that affects thinking, behavior, and even physical health [4].
💔 PTSD Affects More Than Just the Individual
The ripple effects of PTSD can touch every part of a person’s life:
Relationships suffer due to withdrawal, anger, or inability to express emotion
Work performance declines due to concentration problems or absenteeism
Physical health worsens, with increased risk of heart disease, chronic pain, and sleep disorders
Substance abuse may be used to self-medicate the overwhelming symptoms
🌟 Ending Stigma, Starting Understanding
One of the greatest barriers to healing is stigma—the idea that PTSD is a sign of weakness or something to be ashamed of. In reality, PTSD is a normal response to an abnormal experience.
Understanding what PTSD is and how it works is the first step toward healing, both for those living with it and for their loved ones.
🧭 What’s Next?
In Part 2 of our PTSD series, we’ll explore how PTSD is diagnosed and the variety of treatment options available, from talk therapy to medications and emerging therapies like EMDR and neurofeedback.
📚 References
National Center for PTSD (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). (2022). How Common Is PTSD?
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_adults.aspKessler, R. C., et al. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 52(12), 1048–1060.
Yehuda, R. (2002). Post-traumatic stress disorder. New England Journal of Medicine, 346(2), 108-114.
Bremner, J. D. (2006). Traumatic stress: effects on the brain. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(4), 445–461.