It was thought that when PTSD had first become known, that it was only caused from military experiences. However, it was later found that just about any traumatic experience can be the cause of PTSD. According to the Sidran Foundation, PTSD can be caused when “Anyone who has been victimized or has witnessed a violent act, or who has been repeatedly exposed to life-threatening situations.” What this means is that regardless of where the trauma occurs, issues surrounding PTSD can potentially arise.
There are 3 types of PTSD:
General PTSD
- Car accidents, fires and earthquakes.
- Rape (whether it’s violent, sexual, physical or verbal).
- Physical assault: such as mugging, carjacking or other random acts.
C-PTSD
- Occurs when people are held captive in state that emotionally or physically damages them (for example; child sexual abuse, prisoner of war camps and long-term domestic violence).
Combat PTSD
- Extreme combat experiences can cause physical changes in the brain.
- The section of our brains with the ‘fight or flight’ responsive can increase in size by as much as 8%.