The Onset of Trauma: What Situations Are Likely to Lead to PTSD?

Many years ago, after World War I, the condition now known as PTSD was deemed to be “shell shock.” It took various forms, from catatonia to extreme nervousness. Some of the soldiers who came back from WWI could barely function as productive members of society.

These days, medical science has become much better at treating PTSD. However, trauma treatment for veterans is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to studying and treating this ailment. Let us talk about some of the other situations that can result in post-traumatic stress disorder in 2023.

Military service, as well as a variety of other situations, could result in trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

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Natural Disasters

Natural disasters like hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, and tornados can certainly result in someone developing PTSD. You can imagine how traumatic it is if your entire village is swept away by a rock slide or something similar, and you are the only one who survived.

Animal Attacks

Various animal attacks that someone survives can lead to them developing PTSD. Maybe you are walking down the street one day, and you’re suddenly attacked by a pit bull. These dogs can be vicious and unpredictable if they are not properly trained.

In the aftermath, you might have a very hard time being in the presence of other dogs, even if they’re much smaller ones that have never shown a history of being violent or aggressive toward humans. It might take you years to get to the point where you can be around any kind of dog again.

Sexual Assaults and Other Traumatic Crimes

Violent crimes like robbery can lead to you developing PTSD. If someone sticks you up with a gun on a deserted street at night, you might fear for your life. You may hand over your money, but maybe the robber strikes you or otherwise assaults you.

A rape or sexual assault may cause you to develop PTSD. Maybe a stranger assaults you, or it could be a family member or someone who you’re dating.

A Vehicle Crash

Car crashes happen all the time, all over the world. Even if you’re an excellent driver, you never know when someone who’s drunk or speeding will ram into your vehicle.

If that happens, then you might develop PTSD. You may shake or have a hard time even getting behind the wheel of your car after that. You might have a severe reaction when you even think about driving.

If you develop PTSD from any of the events that we’ve described, you will need to speak to a competent mental health professional to help you get over it.

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What Can You Do About This?

Often, if you develop PTSD from any of the events that we’ve described, you will need to speak to a competent mental health professional to help you get over it. It could take weeks, months, or even years to feel confident again. Soldiers who develop PTSD sometimes never recover entirely, but they can often learn to live in society again if they work with a therapist specializing in this kind of treatment.

PTSD does not have the stigma surrounding it that it once did. That is good news for soldiers who come back from combat with it and other individuals as well.