Also called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), post-traumatic stress syndrome is an anxiety disorder caused by a deeply disturbing event. What is considered traumatizing, however, varies by person. Post-traumatic stress syndrome can occur at any point during the patient's life, and causes the patient to experience a prolonged reaction to the event, such as flashbacks and hypervigilance. Other factors can also contribute to the onset of the syndrome, such as a family history of psychological illness and the individual's reaction to stress.
Traumatic Experience
The main cause of post-traumatic stress syndrome is a traumatic experience. The Mayo Clinic notes that the duration of the event and how severe it was also plays a large factor in whether you will develop the syndrome, as post-traumatic stress disorder is an abnormal response. Helpguide.org states that certain events are common causes of post-traumatic stress syndrome, especially those that involve violence; examples include sexual or physical abuse, rape, violent assault, kidnapping, war, natural disasters and motor vehicle accidents. A medical procedure, such as major surgery, may trigger post-traumatic stress syndrome in a child.
Predisposition and Personality
The Mayo Clinic notes that you may be predisposed to post-traumatic stress syndrome. For example, a person with a family history of anxiety and depressive disorders is more likely to be diagnosed with the syndrome after a traumatic event. Certain personality traits, like temperament, can make you more likely to be emotionally affected by the event.
Reaction to Stress
During a stressful situation, the brain releases certain hormones, like cortisol, as part of the fight-or-flight response. A patient with post-traumatic stress syndrome, however, has differences in her brain chemical regulation, which results in a prolonged release of the stress hormones. The excess of hormones causes the brain to react longer to the stressor from the traumatic event. In comparison, if another person is exposed to the same traumatic event, but has a regular brain chemical response to stress, then she will not develop post-traumatic stress syndrome.
