The typical onset age for PTSD is in young and middle adulthood. The NCS-R reported a median onset age of 23 (interquartile range: ages 15-39) among adults (Kessler et al., 2005).
For some, PTSD symptoms may be worse in later years as they age. Learn how as an older Veteran, you may still be affected by your past service. There are tips to find help as well. “The PTSD will hit you hardest when you retire or you're not occupied all the time.”
Age The life stage you're in at the time of the trauma can determine your risk for PTSD. For example, research shows that women may be at their highest risk between the ages of 51 to 55. (14) Sex Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men.
PTSD symptoms usually appear soon after trauma. For most people, these symptoms go away on their own within the first few weeks and months after the trauma. For some, the symptoms can last for many years, especially if they go untreated. PTSD symptoms can stay at a fairly constant level of severity.
Who gets PTSD? Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. This includes combat veterans and people who have experienced or witnessed a physical or sexual assault, abuse, an accident, a disaster, or other serious events. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened, even when they are not in danger.
Sexual violence toward women and the associated high rate of sexual violence has identified this as the largest group of people affected by PTSD. It is estimated that 1 in 4 women will be raped or a victim of sexual violence. Half of all women will experience at least one traumatic event.
Women are more likely than men to develop PTSD. Certain aspects of the traumatic event and biological factors (such as genes) may make some people more likely to develop PTSD.
Exposure to additional life stressors.
Struggles in one's everyday life – like losing a loved one, unemployment, or the pandemic – may cause a person to experience increased vulnerability to PTSD symptoms. They may be more prone to rumination, flashbacks, nightmares, or anxiety.
Women with PTSD may be more likely than men with PTSD to: Be easily startled. Have more trouble feeling emotions or feel numb. Avoid things that remind them of the trauma.
PTSD can be worsened due to the kind of trigger involved. A trigger reminds you of what happened, activating memories, emotions, and physical responses, leading to a severe reaction.
abuse, including childhood or domestic abuse. exposure to traumatic events at work, including remote exposure. serious health problems, such as being admitted to intensive care.
Prevalence and Symptoms of PTSD
Prolonged or noticeable psychological and/or physiological reactions to cues resembling the experience. Flashbacks of the event or emotional/psychological dissociation when triggered. Avoidance of thoughts, feelings, people, places, or any reminders of what happened.
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.
Emotional Trauma Symptoms
Psychological Concerns: Anxiety and panic attacks, fear, anger, irritability, obsessions and compulsions, shock and disbelief, emotional numbing and detachment, depression, shame and guilt (especially if the person dealing with the trauma survived while others didn't)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is no longer classified as an anxiety disorder. It has now been recategorized as a trauma and stressor-related disorder, in recognition of the specific and unique circumstances that provoke the onset of the condition.
Can you have PTSD and not know it? Yes, the mind has an incredible ability to forget traumatic events while still holding them unconsciously. People who suffer from other trauma can also have PTSD, often without realizing it.
You don't have to experience a specific trauma to develop PTSD. Many people associate this disorder with military veterans. While PTSD is common in military populations, simply witnessing an event, like a car accident, can trigger PTSD symptoms.
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.
Uncomplicated PTSD is linked to one major traumatic event, versus multiple events, and is the easiest form of PTSD to treat. Symptoms of uncomplicated PTSD include: avoidance of trauma reminders, nightmares, flashbacks to the event, irritability, mood changes and changes in relationships.
Alterations in arousal and reactivity: Arousal and reactive symptoms may include being irritable and having angry outbursts; behaving recklessly or in a self-destructive way; being overly watchful of one's surroundings in a suspecting way; being easily startled; or having problems concentrating or sleeping.