Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of those things that many people never really acknowledged as something that anyone could be diagnosed with except those who have served in wars under military contracts. Thinking through history, we can see that the Vietnam War was a huge groundbreaker for even acknowledging that trauma can have long-term effects on people. However, over the years, more and more research has come out that PTSD happens to many people, including civilians. There are different forms of PTSD as well, and it affects every person differently. When I was 13, I was diagnosed with childhood PTSD, then later as an adult, complex trauma was also added to my diagnosis. I know many others who have also been diagnosed as a child, or as an adult attempting to heal from their childhood.
The more research that is published, it is consistently pointed out how trauma has more long-term effects than initially realized, including neurobiological changes in the brain. In bouts of long-term trauma, sometimes it can cause brain damage. Have you ever considered how someone who lives in a toxic environment for twenty years may, sometimes, take on those exact toxic qualities and continue believing that such actions are normal? Research now says that could be due to brain damage from extended exposure to trauma (emotional, physical, etc).
So, I feel like it’s safe to say that PTSD is something to be taken seriously, regardless of how menial it may seem to someone. It can affect your whole life.
I won’t go into major detail on the neurobiology of it, but I will be attaching a PDF copy of my scholarly report on the neurobiological effects of PTSD on the human brain. I will mention that at least four different parts of the brain can be/are affected by trauma and PTSD: the frontal lobe, amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus.
With this in mind, and considering my most recent blog posts, it would be a good idea to bring the concepts of psychology into policymaking within the world, especially in the United States. The amount of political trauma the US can put on a given American is enough that they can develop PTSD, depending on which state they live in and whether there are federal protections in place for that individual. Keep in mind, that there are marginalized groups of individuals who deserve just as much protection as the “average” American. With that being said, I’ll just leave this here!
Eradication Wellness 