Contributing Factors For PTSD
Many factors play a part in whether a person will get PTSD. Some of these are risk factors that make a person more likely to get PTSD.
Other factors, called resilience factors, can help reduce the risk of the disorder. Some of these risk and resilience factors are present before the trauma and others become important during and after a traumatic event.
Risk factors for PTSD include:2
- Living through dangerous events and traumas
- Having a history of mental illness
- Getting hurt
- Seeing people hurt or killed
- Feeling horror, helplessness, or extreme fear
- Having little or no social support after the event
- Dealing with extra stress after the event, such as loss of a loved one, pain and injury, or loss of a job or home.
Resilience factors that may reduce the risk of PTSD include:3
- Seeking out support from other people, such as friends and family
- Finding a support group after a traumatic event
- Feeling good about one’s own actions in the face of danger
- Having a coping strategy, or a way of getting through the bad event and learning from it
- Being able to act and respond effectively despite feeling fear.
Researchers are studying the importance of various risk and resilience factors. With more study, it may be possible someday to predict who is likely to get PTSD and prevent it.
Military to VA Transition Advocate, VA Benefits Educator, Connector, Health and Wellness Conscious
9 年Right on Mike!
Doctorate in Behavioral Health - NeuroPsychotherapist - Supports Bio-Medical Interventions for Behaviors and Health
9 年Working with complex trauma patients with PTSD, resiliency is an interesting and complex element in interventions. I find that going back to the neuro-development stages and how a person has learned to process experiences, its puzzling how some patients process trauma quicker than others. Michael, thanks for the post.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN OUTREACH
9 年As a person with PTSD I appreciate your post which addresses resiliency factors in coping with ptsd. You might want to look further to an excellent program offering certification for the facilitation presentation to others. It is called WHAM- Whole Health Action Management that speaks to 10 resiliency factors and much more for us all. Thank you again for your post!
In Transition
9 年Yes I will do that shortly and Thank you for the work that you do : ) God bless !!!
Christian Author, Speaker, Chaplain Spouse, Board Member, ARMYVolunteer ????PWOC, “Field of Influence”?The Spencer Project? Memory Care ACTIVITIES
9 年I love these posts on PTS. Keep them coming!