What Are the Different Causes of PTSD?

There are a number of potential causes of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but most cases are the result of an extreme traumatic event during the person’s lifetime. Events such as experiencing a life-threatening situation, witnessing a fatal car crash or being in a warzone are all examples of situations that can result in PTSD. Less stressful situations, such as divorce, also have been known to cause PTSD in some cases. There are a number of factors that make the potential causes of PTSD more likely to result in the condition, such as existing emotional problems.

Post traumatic stress disorder is commonly associated with war veterans, but it can be caused by any type of traumatic event. A trauma is an incident that either threatens the life of a person or causes him to be put under a great amount of emotional and physical stress. An event that causes a strong feeling of fear is another of the potential causes of PTSD.

Examples of common causes of PTSD include being part of or witnessing another person being killed, seeing a serious accident, being diagnosed with a life-threatening condition, and being attacked or tortured. A traumatic occurrence doesn’t have to happen to the person directly for it to result in PTSD. Other potential causes of PTSD include being involved in a terrorist attack, being caught up in an environmental disaster such as an earthquake, or spending time in a warzone.

Although the causes of PTSD are usually extreme events that are difficult for the person to handle, some people may develop the condition after experiencing a divorce or becoming unemployed. This is less common and may not be officially classed as PTSD because the causes aren't traumatic enough. It usually only occurs if the person is put under a large amount of stress over a long period of time, such as during a difficult and prolonged divorce case.

There are a number of factors that make PTSD more likely. If a person is exposed to a traumatic event for an extended period of time, for example, then he or she is more likely to suffer from the condition in the future. People such as soldiers who experience a large number of traumatic events also are at a greater risk of the condition. Other risk factors that count among the causes of PTSD include extremely severe traumatic events, pre-existing emotional conditions and the person feeling as if he or she has no support network.