I want to start off by saying I take mental health very seriously and have no doubt in my mind that PTSD is very real. My brother suffers from it and it is hell. This is a science question – I don’t want anybody to take this the wrong way. I am simply trying to understand the disease better and its origins.
Why does visual trauma we experience – horrific scenes, gore (I.e. warfare), etc. cause PTSD? In other words, how does it actually damage neurological function? Why does it reoccur in episodes?
In: Biology
PTSD describes a reduced ability to regulate your nervous system. It doesn’t have to just be visual trauma. Any traumatic experience can lead to PTSD.
Trauma is the result of a negative experience which has a lasting, negative effect. Common responses are fear, avoidance, anger, depression, basically negative mental health symptoms.
If you start with the understanding that trauma is simply a way to describe an experience which has a lasting negative impact on mental health then it’s easier to understand PTSD. It’s just a way to describe the symptoms associated with unresolved trauma.
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