Personality Style, Coping and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
I have written a fair amount about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) not only because it can be such a nasty problem, but also because it is beginning to give up many of its secrets, and it is one of the illnesses that can really show the benefits of Integrated Medicine.
There is new research just published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. The report is a prospective study that was done in Israel.
180 undergraduate students at the University of Haifa were coincidentally evaluated 2 weeks before a terrorist explosion in a bus heading toward their university and reevaluated 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after the explosion.
The findings were that there were premorbid personality characteristics that predicted the development of PTSD. This is in line with the research showing both genetic and neurological predispositions to developing PTSD. The research also indicated that
some people have more robust coping styles than others. And finally, as
expected, there is a relationship to how close people were to the
attack.
This is all useful information, and once again shows the futility of trying to psychological reactions to only genes, only the brain, only past experience or only the environment.
Any comprehensive understanding needs us to incorporate all of those factors.
Dr. Richard G. Petty, MD is a world-renowned authority on the brain, and his revolutionary work on human energy systems has been acclaimed around the globe.
He is also an accredited specialist in internal and metabolic medicine, endocrinology, psychiatry, acupuncture and homeopathy. He has been an innovator and leader of the human potential movement for over thirty years and is also an active researcher, teacher, writer, professional speaker and broadcaster. He is the author of five books, including the groundbreaking and best selling CD series Healing, Meaning and Purpose. He has taught in over 45 countries and 48 states in the last ten years, but spends as much time as possible on his horse farm in Georgia.
