Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can be developed after a shocking or traumatic event or situation. PTSD affects millions of adults and adolescents in the United States every single year.
Research on PTSD suggests that there are genetic and hereditary factors that can increase the risk of developing the condition. According to studies, both genetic changes and intergenerational trauma may increase the risk that a person will develop PTSD.
Below, we’ll explore what the research says about genetic and hereditary risk factors for PTSD, including the role that intergenerational trauma can play in your PTSD risk and the steps you can take to start healing. Short answer: Is PTSD genetic or hereditary?
According to a wide pool of research, several factors can increase the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , including both genetic and hereditary factors.
Genetic conditions can develop when there are changes present in your genes. A 2016 study suggests that variations in certain genes, such as those related to serotonin or the stress response, can make a person more susceptible to developing PTSD and other trauma-related disorders .
Hereditary conditions can develop when a parent genetically passes a condition down to their child. A 2014 review of studies suggests that genetic risk factors make up roughly 30% to 40% of the heritability, or inherited risk, of developing the condition. How is trauma passed down from generation to generation?
Another possible reason that PTSD may have a hereditary risk is because of the specific trauma called “ intergenerational trauma ” — trauma that’s passed down from generation to generation.
When you experience traumatic events , whether historical or on a personal level, that trauma can have a ripple effect on future generations. Some of the possible causes of intergenerational trauma can include: enslavement
colonization family separation forced migration natural disasters war, violence, and genocide racism cultural oppression financial difficulties familial violence, neglect, or abuse According to the American Psychological Association , these types of traumatic experiences can lead to intergenerational trauma in different ways.One way that intergenerational trauma can […]
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