What Causes PTSD? Understanding the Role of the Brain in Trauma

When we consider the complexities of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), we need to start with our brain's innate capacity to process stress and trauma. Our brains are naturally wired to handle these situations up to a point, but there's a threshold to how much trauma they can manage effectively.

When an event is exceedingly dangerous, terrifying, or laden with guilt, shame, and pain, our brain's ability to process this trauma can become overwhelmed. This kind of overload may eventually lead to serious conditions such as PTSD.¹

Why Do Some Develop PTSD While Others Don’t?

Interestingly, not everyone exposed to the same traumatic event will develop PTSD. Statistically, about 30 to 40% of veterans, for example, may develop PTSD following combat experiences. The reasons behind this disparity are complex and multifaceted.¹

The development of PTSD hinges on how an individual's brain responds to traumatic events. It's a combination of multiple factors that culminate in PTSD symptoms. When a traumatic event is too intense, it can disrupt the brain's natural capacity to cope. This disruption is often due to an interaction between the individual's inherent psychological makeup and the external traumatic event itself. It's this combination that can lead to the development of PTSD.² The symptoms arise not just from the memory of the event, but from the emotional turmoil that surrounds these memories.²

Hope Through Treatment

The silver lining is that with timely and effective treatment, it’s possible to reverse these processes.³ Treatments aim to help individuals separate traumatic memories from the intense emotions associated with them. This can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Effective treatment for PTSD includes Prolonged Exposure (PE), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT).

Understanding what causes PTSD involves delving into how our brains react to and process trauma. While the risk of developing PTSD is influenced by various factors, the good news is that recovery is possible with the right treatment.

Sources:

1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2018, September 13). How Common Is PTSD in Adults?. PTSD: National Center for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_adults.asp#:~:text=About%208%20of%20every%20100,sexual%20assault%E2%80%94compared%20to%20men.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Post-traumatic stress disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd
3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2018a, August 8). PTSD Treatment Basics. PTSD: National Center for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/tx_basics.asp