People with PTSD may be at risk to experience other psychological problems, such as depression, other anxiety disorders, and drug and alcohol use problems, and PTSD is also related to your physical health. How are they related?
In addition to keeping an eye out for the development of these serious psychological problems, if you have PTSD, it is extremely important to be aware of your physical health, as there definitely is a connection between the two.
In fact, people with PTSD are at greater risk for developing a number of physical health problems such as:
- Arthritis
- Heart disease
- Respiratory system-related problems and disease
- Digestive problems
- Reproductive system-related problems
- Diabetes
- Pain
How Does PTSD Lead to Worse Physical Health?
There is no one, simple answer to this question. PTSD might negatively impact your physical health in a number of ways. For example, many people with PTSD smoke. In fact, almost half of people with a current diagnosis of PTSD smoke, and smoking is definitely connected with the development of a number of physical health problems.
In addition, especially in regard to heart disease, PTSD results in the release of stress hormones which may contribute to inflammation and eventual damage to a person's cardiovascular system. This would increase a person's risk for heart disease and premature death.
Finally, many people with PTSD suffer from obesity. Although obesity is increasing for everyone across the country, people with PTSD seem to be particularly at risk for obesity, and this can lead to a number of health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.
Taking Care of Your Physical Health
If you have PTSD (and even if you don't), it is important to maintain and improve your physical health. Specifically, it can be important to start focusing on living a healthier lifestyle. A healthy diet, exercise, and eliminating bad habits (for example, stopping smoking) may reduce your risk for these physical health problems and can have the added benefit of also improving your mood and decreasing your stress levels.
Sources:
Boscarino, J.A. (2008). A prospective study of PTSD and early-age heart disease mortality among Vietnam Veterans: Implications for surveillance and prevention. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 668-676.
Centers for Disease Control. U.S. obesity trends 1985-2006. Atlanta, GA: Author.
Feldner, M.T., Babson, K.A., & Zvolensky, M.J. (2007). Smoking, traumatic event exposure, and post-traumatic stress: A critical review of the empirical literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 27, 14-45.
Green, B.L., & Kimerling, R. (2004). Trauma, PTSD, and health status. In P.P. Schurr & B.L. Green (Eds.), Physical health consequences of exposure to extreme stress (pp. 13-42). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
