What Makes You More Likely to Develop PTSD?

Many people are going through life not knowing that they meet the group of experiences and symptoms that would easily give them a diagnosis of PTSD. PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a mental health condition that affects different people in different ways but tends to present itself after a particularly traumatic or terrifying event.

Sometimes PTSD can develop much later in life if the traumatic event or events happened early on in childhood or young adulthood. But what makes you more likely to develop PTSD? Some people may go through very similar traumas and develop or not develop PTSD from it.

Risk Factors

- Having or being prone to other mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety

- Having mental health conditions run in the family

- Experiencing trauma early on in life such as traumatic childhood events or abuse

- Experiencing long lasting or intense traumas

- Experiencing issues with substance misuse, abuse, or dependence

- Working in conditions that expose you to traumatic events such as the military

- A lack of a good support system such as family and close friends

Just because you experience one or more risk factors doesn’t mean you’ll develop PTSD, but it does indicate a higher likelihood that you will develop PTSD especially if you are experiencing traumatic events.

Types of Traumatic Events

- Accidents (Car, work, or accidents happening in personal time)

- Physical assault

- Sexual assault or violence

- Childhood physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

- Combat exposure

- Natural disasters

- Losing a loved one

There are many types of traumatic events and any one incident may be perceived or experienced differently by different people. PTSD can begin to disrupt day to day life if left untreated.

If you’re experiencing symptoms related to PTSD, it’s time to reach out and get yourself some help. With time and self-care, you can recover from PTSD and learn to live with and manage symptoms so that they don’t disrupt your daily life.

Reference
N.D. “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)”. The Mayo Clinic. (website). 2018