How does PTSD affect those exposed to trauma on a prolonged basis differently then those on a limited basis? For example, how would PTSD affect a random Afghan warlord who has fighting for nearly 40 years, differently then some 19 year USMC rookie (whose only prior exposure to violence are video games, movies, and TV shows)? Does my question make sense to anyone, as I'm having a difficult time finding the proper words for it.
Look up MMA fighter Adel Altamimi. There was a chapter on him in The Gift of Forgiveness that i read for a bookclub. He was an Al-Qaeda hostage survivor and from what i remember from the chapter, his father figure was murdered by al-qaeda when he was young. He started driving for the military troops and became a target himself in his early teens. His car got shot up (he lived). The next year, they shot his brother in the head. A few months later, they kidnapped him and 2 friends and decapitated his friends infront of him. Then he came to america. Naturally he was messed up after that and attempted suicide. He had survivor's guilt. Depression, anxiety. Struggled to adapt. The chapter was only a summary on him, but im sure you can find similar stories. Ill look too when i get back to a computer
Some types of stimuli can trigger either aggression or paranoia years after the initial trauma. Certain visual cues, smells, and sounds can draw a person back into the horrific event(s), and seemingly out of nowhere to those around them. But yeah, J T Woody pretty much nailed the rest of it.
Complex PTSD is a term they use for long term trauma. Ah, reread the question and it's a different question. I don't have an answer for that but perhaps you can look at cPTSD reaction to new trauma.
It might be worth your time to pick up a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) for some good references on the attributes of mental disorders like this and what defines them. PTSD manifests in many similar ways between the two, but those prolonged in its effects without treatment start to make their issues and revisits to events routine.
