It seems apparent to me that most humans throughout the existence of the species have suffered from experiences that cause Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; violence must have been a daily occurrence in the human world until recently. Today probably only 20 to 50% of the worlds population is in such a terrible situation.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says: “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape. Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people will have stress reactions that do not go away on their own, or may even get worse over time. These individuals may develop PTSD. People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person’s daily life.â€
I have been reading Tuchman’s history of the fourteenth century and also WWI. She writes in an excellent historical narrative style. It appears to me that at least 50% of all humans that ever existed must have suffered from experiences that cause PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). War, rape, pillage, outlaws, etc. was the common daily event in many lives.
I guess that such pervasive disorders must have left its mark in our gene pool. I have just begun to wonder about this phenomena and I do not know what to make of it. Do you have any thoughts?
I bet a lot of people suffer from various soft forms of PTSD, given that human nature is mostly labile and sensitive to changes. Big events like war, terrorist attacks or natural catastrophes probably leave their imprint, but sure, everyone’s got their little trauma kept in a box at home. Traumas define who we are or where we’re headed to, just ask Freud.
Well, first of all, a great book.
However to research PTSD in humans you’ll have to go farther, to the stone age.
About 500,000 years ago, humans(or humanoids) were hunted daily by other , bigger animals.
Although I am not a psychologist, I do beleive that PTSD is merely a modern invention of the human rights/individualism era.
Violence is in our blood, its from our animal heritage.
Even the death of a loved one can cause it or think about how people react during traffic jams. Most are calm but there is always those few that break down. Many people down here are suffering it. I have seen it handled it many different ways.
I suffer a bit from it I know that.
Word of warning: Never be a part of a group of elderly women and men that have suffered catastrophic losses, you will want to put a bullet in your head. It helps them to cope by comparing notes on how bad they have it, they seem to be very happy being the most miserable. I have watched this occur quite frequently over the past 8 months or so. The younger folks clam up and move on or sit down and don’t move, or get angry and fight or run away. Older folks sit around and have the most depressing conversations you ever would want to hear but, big but here , they thrive and cope much better it seems.
exactly but, they get it, I don’t, and many younger folks don’t. For them it works. For younger, well listening to them is soooooo depressing and harsh. I find the difference very interesting. Age difference: 45 and younger, then 45 to about 50 then about 50 and above. The 50 and above compare war wounds to heal, 45 to 50 are ambigous. 45 and younger try desperately to move forward. I find the differences interesting. And the why unanswered
As I said on the other forum you posted this on, PTSD can’t leave marks on our “gene pool,” because that isn’t how genetics work. Mental/physical changes that occur during an individual’s life, barring radiation and that sort of thing, can’t be passed to offspring. Lysenkoism, the belief that those changes can be passed on, was very popular in the Soviet Union, largely because the government saw it as conducive to their political agenda. Unfortunately, repeated research has shown it to be false.