PTSD Myths Debunked: 5 Common Misconceptions and Truth According to Science

Throughout history, people have known that severe stress can have a significant effect on the mind and body. But it was not until 1980 that the diagnosis of PTSD came into being as we know it today. There are also misconceptions about the disease because of this. Here's what everybody can remember about the situation:

Fort Hamilton Soldiers Attend PTSD Screening — NEW YORK - DECEMBER 15: Pamphlets about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are seen on a table December 15, 2009 at Fort Hamilton Army Garrison in Brooklyn, New York. The table was outside a presentation of the Military Pathways program, a free, anonymous mental health and alcohol self-assessment for troops, civilian employees, and their families. Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Myth: PTSD Only Affects Military People

Most people relate PTSD to the effects of soldiers being at war. Vonnie Nealon, Warriors Heart's clinical officer, told Huffpost that any distressing incident, including natural disasters, major traffic crashes, terrorist assaults, sexual harassment, and mass shootings, can lead to mental health conditions. She added that, following a severe or life-threatening health condition, PTSD could also occur.

Myth: PTSD Causes Aggressive Actions

Most persons with PTSD aren't harmful. There is an increased chance of aggression involved with PTSD, but most people with it have never acted violently. Research from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, titled "Research Findings on PTSD and Violence," show that the correlation between PTSD and aggressive activity decreases dramatically as risk factors associated with PTSD are considered. Many risk factors play into the association between PTSD and aggression, such as substance addiction, substance misuse, and other psychological illnesses.

Myth: PTSD Turns Up Just After A Stressful Experience

The Mayo Clinic notes that signs sometimes occur following a stressful experience in the first few months, but often symptoms do not appear until years later. For anyone who has PTSD, it's different.

Some people with PTSD feel their pain again through dreams, hallucinations, or feelings of terror or rage. They should make a deliberate attempt to stop something that could cause persistent trauma sensations. People with PTSD may feel isolated or losing interest in pre-trauma activities they loved. They might become more violent, hypervigilant, or self-destructive. When different signs have lasted for more than a month, PTSD is diagnosed.

Myth: PTSD is Only in the Mind

PTSD is a real disease that induces real signs. How the brain works may be affected by stressful experiences. After a person has been subjected to trauma, PTSD leads to observable changes in the brain and body.

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Results from a study titled "Structural and Functional Brain Changes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" identified three distinct differences in the brain that are distinct in people with PTSD: the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the medial prefrontal cortex. The amygdala is where feelings encounter responses, and it overreacts to things that have to do with their trauma in persons with PTSD. Research suggests in the hippocampus, which controls impulses that the flashbacks of a PTSD patient may be due to a brain inability to control responses to trauma-related stress.

Myth: It's Not An Accident, So Medical Attention is Not Needed

Physically, trauma can be adverse, but not often. To develop PTSD, you don't have to be physically injured or wounded. A study called "The Longitudinal Course of Ptsd Among Disaster Workers Deployed to the World Trade Center Following the Attacks of September 11th" reveal that many disaster workers who served as one of the rescue crews got the condition since 9/11. Although they were not directly injured in the disaster.

PTSD is a symptom of an injury even without a visible wound and needs medical treatment. Without support from a specialist, some PTSD effects can be acute and subside rapidly on their own. But many persons with PTSD have their life disturbed by the symptoms and need immediate treatment. It may lead individuals to lose function when symptoms such as heart attacks and sleeplessness disrupt their everyday lives. PTSD is not something persons will actually get through on their own. It also takes patience, motivation, and guided counseling. Seeking medical treatment can help persons with PTSD regain control of their lives.