PTSD

Untreated PTSD Linked to Other Anxiety Conditions

By January 13, 2015No Comments

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects people from a variety of backgrounds. Many with PTSD will also be diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder, one of the most common is an anxiety disorder. Not everyone with PTSD will develop an accompanying anxiety disorder,PTSD 3 but those with PTSD do face a higher risk compared to the general population.

Anxieties General and Specific
28 percent of people with PTSD (past or present) either struggle with Social Anxiety now or did so in the past. A person who is hyper-vigilant and alert to potential danger will find social gatherings stressful and avoid them when possible. However, those with a PTSD history are also six times more apt to struggle with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – and worry becomes a focal point in their life. It is estimated that 17 percent of people with PTSD also deal with GAD at one time or another. Over 30 percent have very specific phobias such as heights, elevators, blood etc.

Panic disorder – experiencing unexpected episodes of intense fear or a sense of certain catastrophe – affects approximately seven percent of those with PTSD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is another anxiety disorder which affects a number of those with PTSD, though the research here is not conclusive and prevalence estimates range widely.

Treatment Makes a Difference
The key point is that having one anxiety-related condition such as PTSD can greatly increase a person’s risk of developing other anxiety problems. This is why it is so crucial to speak up and ask for help with PTSD as early as possible. PTSD is treatable and the earlier it is addressed the less likely a person will be to form other anxiety-based issues. If you or someone in your life has PTSD, be sure that treatment is being received.

At Family Guidance we understand PTSD and the effects it can have on many areas of life. Contact us and let us help you begin on the road to recovery.