“Our study found that PTSD and comorbid conditions, like substance misuse, are associated with a cellular marker of early death found in DNA methylation patterns,” says Erika Wolf, a Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine professor of psychiatry and senior author on the study.
In the research by Drs. Smith, Ressler, and colleagues, GrimAge related trauma and epigenetic alterations and used these to predict expected lifespan. The study found that a PTSD diagnosis at any age predicted a shorter lifespan.
Meta-analyses indicated that PTSD increased mortality risk by approximately 47% in six studies reporting OR/RR, and 32% in 18 studies examining time to death, when compared to individuals without PTSD.
Yes, living a healthy life with PTSD is possible. A person struggling with PTSD should seek out a treatment plan that will work for them to get them on track to managing their PTSD.
Historians often cite Herodotus' account of Epizelus, an Athenian spear carrier who experienced psychological problems after the Marathon Wars in 490 B.C., as the first recorded case of PTSD.
Many older Veterans find they have PTSD symptoms even 50 or more years after their wartime experience. Some symptoms of PTSD include having nightmares or feeling like you are reliving the event, avoiding situations that remind you of the event, being easily startled, and loss of interest in activities.
So, does PTSD ever go away? No, but with effective evidence-based treatment, symptoms can be managed well and can remain dormant for years, even decades. But because the trauma that evokes the symptoms will never go away, there is a possibility for those symptoms to be “triggered” again in the future.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can disrupt your whole life — your job, your relationships, your health and your enjoyment of everyday activities. Having PTSD may also increase your risk of other mental health problems, such as: Depression and anxiety. Issues with drugs or alcohol use.
Your brain is equipped with an alarm system that normally helps ensure your survival. With PTSD, this system becomes overly sensitive and triggers easily. In turn, the parts of your brain responsible for thinking and memory stop functioning properly.
Traumas like physical and emotional trauma often lead to PTSD which on average, affects roughly 8% of Americans. PTSD can typically be a lifelong problem for most people, resulting in severe brain damage.
Acute stress disorder is a more severe form of PTSD and is characterised by panic reactions, cognitive issues, dissociation, insomnia, distrust, and the inability to maintain basic self-care, work and relationships.
Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men. Certain aspects of the traumatic event and some biological factors (such as genes) may make some people more likely to develop PTSD.
In some cases, particularly where it is not treated, PTSD can last a very long time, perhaps the remainder of one's life. Most people with longstanding PTSD find that the symptoms are not steady in their severity. For some people, PTSD symptoms gradually fade over time.
PTSD is hard to treat
PTSD happens when people experience something so frightening, their threat response floods the brain with stress hormones and the memory of the event is stored differently. Instead of feeling like a normal memory, trauma memories feel like they are still happening, right now in the present.
Symptoms usually start within 3 months of a trauma. But they might not show up until years afterward. They last for at least a month. Without treatment, you can have PTSD for years or even the rest of your life.
Understanding VA PTSD Ratings
A zero percent rating means that “PTSD has been diagnosed. The symptoms, however, are not severe enough to interfere with work or social functioning or to require continuous medication.” A 100% rating is for “total occupational and social impairment” due to specified symptoms.
Without treatment, the psychological symptoms of PTSD are likely to worsen over time. Along with severe depression and anxiety, other serious outcomes may include: Increased suicidal ideation. Problems managing anger and aggression.
Individuals with PTSD are not dangerous. Although PTSD is associated with an increased risk of violence, the majority of Veterans and non-Veterans with PTSD have never engaged in violence.
PTSD is not necessarily permanent. If you have it, it can improve. Whether you seek professional help or not is up to you, but know that it can and often does get better. And importantly, you can help that process along.
vivid flashbacks (feeling like the trauma is happening right now) intrusive thoughts or images. nightmares. intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma.
Moderate to high quality evidence finds the average age of onset of PTSD is 26.6 years, with no differences between males and females. The median age at onset is around 30 years. The overall median prevalence of PTSD tends to reduce over time, from 28.8% at one-month post trauma to 17% at 12 months post trauma.
While PTSD can occur at any age, the average age of onset is in a person's early 20s. away from certain places or objects that are reminders of the traumatic event. A person may also feel numb, guilty, worried, depressed, or have trouble remembering the traumatic event.
It's quite another to commit to discussing it with someone else. The truth about trauma therapy is that it may make you feel worse at times. Trauma shatters a person's sense of safety, so it's vital to find a mental health professional you feel comfortable sharing with and trust to lead you through the healing process.