Gene Study/PTSD

[Don W]

I read an interesting article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It is about reseach that finds a gene that might make some recover from a traumatic event and some suffer with PTSD. This gene is affected by childhood abuse. There is a period that our brains in childhood are vulnerable to outside influences that can shape stress response system. Testing about 900 people they found that the worse the abuse the more at risk and the more intense the PTSD. This is also what the study I've been involved in is researching. One big questions among us Veterans why some and not others. Sometimes, some Veterans would question others. Some who saw heavy action can't understand how some that saw less action can be affected. I think this could be why many Veterans went years without treatment. We even question ourselves, and find it difficult to validate our feelings compared to others. Don W

[1963comet]

Thank's for the interesting info.

I was abused as a kid. Later in life I was told I had PTSD. I was not in the service, but know people that suffer.

[nandm]

Thanks for the info. I found it quite interesting since I have a history of childhood abuse and had PTSD rear its head at about 3 years of recovery from alcoholism.

[Don W]

Including myself I think that many people still do or at one time that PTSD only applied to the service. Along with combat PTSD, I have PTSD from childhood sexual, verbal and physical abuse. The VA believes and studies like I mentioned are getting close to the answer. Overall, we all have to understand that they are just starting to scratch the surface of how our brains work. I also get fustrated with my treatment. However, the doctors are really just learning as the go along. It wasn't that many years ago that they just locked people like us up and threw away the key. Don W

[1963comet]

Yeah I'm glad the doctors are working on it also.