Scientists make breakthrough in understanding stress related disorders again

Most enter into the military right out of high school. This region of the brian is not fully developed until the age of 25. So there you have part one of the reason so many young veterans never leave combat behind and why they grow old fighting battles in their minds.

Scientists make breakthrough in understanding stress
A team of neuroscientists has made a breakthrough in understanding how the brain responds to traumatic events.

The discovery could lead to new treatments for stress-related psychiatric disorders.

Dr Robert Pawlak, from the University of Leicester, said: "It was known certain individuals are more susceptible to detrimental effects of stress.

"However, the reasons were not clear."

Researchers, led by Dr Pawlak, found that the emotional centre of the brain – the amygdala – reacts to stress by increasing production of the protein neuropsin.

This triggers a series of chemical reactions including activating a gene that determines the stress response.

Blocking those proteins reduced stress levels.

Dr Pawlak said: "We are tremendously excited about these findings. Our discovery opens new possibilities for the prevention and treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder."
Scientists make breakthrough in understanding stress

The problem I'm having right now is this study was even done in the UK when it was already known years ago. This is one more reason why there has been no real new research done.

I've been involved with PTSD since 1982 when I met my Vietnam Vet husband. Over the years there isn't much I have not read simply because my life was involved as his wife. This wasn't just research to me. It was my life so it mattered a great deal. Over all these years I've gone to more conferences and taken training to the point where I cannot remember all of them unless I search my book case and storage boxes for the information I brought back home. I can tell you for a fact this information has been out there for several years but it did not come from studying members of the military. It came from research done on civilians.

What this does not include is the answer as to why the average rate of humans exposed to trauma and ending up with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one out of three and not 100%. The answer is in how we are all different.

Some people are selfish thinking about themselves and their own needs more than others. Some are compassionate enough that they put other people ahead of themselves. Some are in between these two groups. PTSD strikes those who are able to feel more deeply than others. They not only walk away with their own pain but they take upon themselves the pain of others.

They want to develop a drug that blocks proteins without ever understanding why PTSD strikes in the first place. They don't understand why the exposures to traumatic events increase the risk of PTSD even in the subjects that fall into the "self" group. They ignore the increased levels of police officers over firefighters and the military higher than anyone else. Police and military members are not only exposed to more events but they also participate in the events with violence. Their PTSD is much different than simply surviving the event itself. Firefighters respond after the fire and they develop PTSD as well but as with civilians, it is a different type of wound they carry with them.

Until researchers understand what is behind it, they will not make any real contributions to healing it. Repeating studies that were already done is a waste of time.