Similar results were found in a study of Lebanese adolescent schoolchildren, in whom PTSD was associated with lower scores on standardized achievement tests. Moderate correlations between IQ and PTSD in male combat veterans have also been reported.
Conclusions. The present study provides robust evidence that highly intelligent individuals do not have more mental health disorders than the average population. High intelligence even appears as a protective factor for general anxiety and PTSD.
Those with PTSD tend to have an overactive response, so something as harmless as a car backfiring could instantly trigger panic. Your amygdala is a primitive, animalistic part of your brain that's wired to ensure survival. So when it's overactive, it's hard to think rationally.
The individual can learn to cope with the symptoms, reframe their experiences and live a happy, healthy life with minimal disruptions. Treatment plans vary from one person to the next depending on their experiences, symptoms and goals and may include a combination of multiple interventions.
PTSD causes your brain to get stuck in danger mode. Even after you're no longer in danger, it stays on high alert. Your body continues to send out stress signals, which lead to PTSD symptoms. Studies show that the part of the brain that handles fear and emotion (the amygdala) is more active in people with PTSD.
But when we're placed in very stressful situations, like during traumatic experiences, some brain changes can result in lasting physical and mental health challenges. That said, positive change is possible. The neuroplasticity that enables brains to change in response to trauma also allows them to heal.
PTSD does not always last forever, even without treatment. Sometimes the effects of PTSD will go away after a few months. Sometimes they may last for years – or longer. Most people who have PTSD will slowly get better, but many people will have problems that do not go away.
While PTSD can be difficult to treat, when left untreated, the mental health condition can cause significant psychological, physical, and social issues. Not only are veterans with PTSD at risk of suffering emotionally, but the condition puts them at an increased risk for several life-threatening conditions.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms
A tragic death magnifies those feelings. In fact, a 2014 study¹ by Keyes, et al, noted that, “unexpected death was associated consistently with elevated odds of new onsets of PTSD, panic disorder, and depressive episodes at all stages of the life course.”
The emotional experience of psychological trauma can have long-term cognitive effects. The hallmark symptoms of PTSD involve alterations to cognitive processes such as memory, attention, planning, and problem solving, underscoring the detrimental impact that negative emotionality has on cognitive functioning.
Using fMRI, researchers observed people with PTSD had less signaling between the hippocampus – an area of the brain responsible for emotion and memory – and the salience network – a mechanism used for learning and survival.
Several studies have found that people with PTSD may be more likely to worry than those without PTSD. Why do we often see excessive worry among people with PTSD? Well, PTSD is associated with high levels of anxious arousal, as well as other strong emotions.
There were significant differences in the impact of childhood trauma on IQ across the 3 groups. Exposure in HCS was associated with a nearly 5-point reduction in IQ (−4.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −7.98 to −1.73, P = . 002), a lesser reduction in siblings (−2.58; 95% CI: −4.69 to −0.46, P = .
Investigations using advanced brain imaging reported a reduction in hippocampal volume in individuals with long-term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is thought that this shrinkage is responsible for the observed memory problems. Also chronic and intense stress has negative effects on intelligence.
During a child's development, factors that contribute to intelligence include their home environment and parenting, education and availability of learning resources, and healthcare and nutrition.
In some cases, particularly where it is not treated, PTSD can last a very long time, perhaps the remainder of one's life. Most people with longstanding PTSD find that the symptoms are not steady in their severity.
Post-traumatic stress disorder can disrupt your whole life — your job, your relationships, your health and your enjoyment of everyday activities. Having PTSD may also increase your risk of other mental health problems, such as: Depression and anxiety. Issues with drugs or alcohol use.
Although some people recover within 6 months, others have symptoms that last for 1 year or longer.
Early development of these age-related conditions is thought to provide evidence that PTSD is associated with premature aging such that the stress of PTSD symptoms leads to an accelerated pace of cellular aging relative to chronological aging.
There is no cure for PTSD, but some people will see a complete resolution of symptoms with proper treatment. Even those who do not, generally see significant improvements and a much better quality of life.
For some people, PTSD symptoms may appear later on, or come and go over time. Untreated PTSD can last for decades; you can even have PTSD and not know it. Here's the good news: you can get treatment for PTSD even after many years — and it works.
Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men. Certain aspects of the traumatic event and some biological factors (such as genes) may make some people more likely to develop PTSD.
Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD. PTSD is more common in people who have experienced multiple traumas. Military veterans are at a higher risk of developing PTSD than the general population. First responders, such as police officers and firefighters, are also at a higher risk of developing PTSD.