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One in three homeless
men in America is a veteran.
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Jeffrey
was a silent hero, touching many lives......
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"Hope For Our Heros"
Rummage Sale! |
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Every dollar generated
goes toward helping combat veterans to receive mental
health care and treatment for combat PTSD” See Details |
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"To thy hands we our souls,
Lord, commend" |
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Loved ones lost to
combat PTSD related suicide.
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Understanding
The Biology of
PTSD |
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There is a biological
component to PTSD
Many people feel stigmatized when diagnosed with PTSD
feeling as if they
should just "get over it". It is important to understand
there is a biological
component to this disorder. Additionally it is important
to be aware of the
biological aspect of PTSD because it is becoming
increasingly popular to use
medicine to help treat the symptoms of PTSD. With
understanding comes the ability to open oneself to the
myriad of holistic resources available in addition to
pharmacology to help give relief from the symptoms of
PTSD. |
The brain changes
An individual suffering with PTSD actually experiences
physiological changes.
The autonomic and central nervous systems are both
affected. Also, the
hippocampus decreases in mass and the amygdala is over
reactive. Memory is a key component to PTSD. The
traumatic event is relived constantly via memory. Both
the hippocampus and amygdala are key in human memory. It
is believed that the amygdala is the "fear center" of
the brain. It should not be surprising that PTSD
sufferers have over reactive amygdala. The amygdala
helps the brain establish a connection between fear
producing situations from the past and because of this
conditioning pairs them with a stimulus in the present
that may be neutral. This incorrect conditioning helps
the individual maintain a constant state of hyper
arousal because the brain is telling the person that a
"safe" situation is threatening even though the "safe"
situation may have nothing to do with the prior trauma.
The hippocampus plays an important role in learning and
memory. Research suggests that the hippocampus attempts
to create expectations in
situations that may offer rewards and punishments based
on memory and past learning. Due to hippocampal damage
in those with PTSD it may be difficult for the brain to
learn new expectations for situations following the
traumatic event. |
PTSD and Stress
Hormones
Those who have PTSD have abnormal levels of stress
hormones. Studies show that individuals with PTSD have
lower levels of cortisol than those who do not have PTSD
and higher than average levels of epinephrine and
norepinephrine. The above three mentioned hormones are
responsible for creating the "flight or fight" response
to stress. In turn, this means that the person with PTSD
lives in constant "flight or fight" mode. Some of the
side effects of long term stress are: hypertension,
ulcers, and poorer overall health. Cortisol helps give
the body energy while stressed and glucocorticoids help
with post stress survival these are hormones that those
with PTSD have lower than normally levels. Serotonin is
believed to play a role in PTSD however research is
inconclusive. It is thought that the lack of inhibitory
signals to neurons may not "shut off" the stress
responses. Additionally people with PTSD have higher
levels of natural opiates after the trauma. These higher
levels of opiates may condition the individual to
re-experience the trauma in order to attain the opiate
response. The neurotransmitter changes exhibited by
those with PTSD are those opposite
to the changes seen in people with major depression. |
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Read More: |
Diagnostic Criteria of PTSD
PTSD and the Family
PTSD and Children
Treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder |
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