Claim “Is PTSD Contagious?”

Blame it on unhappily coded proteins, or a misbehaving amygdala. Family history, or maybe previous trauma.

• If PTSD is present via family history then it can be spread down the family tree
• Family is surrounded by PTSD. PTSD could be triggered in someone through another person’s trauma.
• Members with previous history of trauma could be at a higher risk. 

Secondary traumatic stress has been documented in the spouses of veterans with PTSD from Vietnam

• This claim is proof that secondary stress can be spread to ones that are constantly present with someone who has PTSD
• Families with lots of members that serve can potentially spread secondary stress PTSD to other members
• Is there a time limit on when other people can get secondary PTSD when around someone with PTSD?

Even doctors can’t say for sure exactly why he has flashbacks

• Doctors couldn’t explain the reason why
• This shows how difficult living with this problem could be
• There doctors can do. PTSD is hard to treat
• People dealing with others that have PTSD know there is not a lot of treatments.

Brannan’s not surprised she’s picked up overreacting and yelling—you don’t have to be at the Vines residence for too long to hear Caleb hollering from his room

• This claim shows that living with Caleb can transfer to younger children.
• I feel that with younger children could be more susceptible to picking up Caleb’s actions

Whatever is happening to Caleb is older than war itself.

• This shows that PTSD has been around for ages.
• In WWI it was called Shell shock
• In WWII it was called Battle Fatigue
• Finally after WWII a proper diagnosis was present.
• Shows that PTSD could’ve been blown off when people were actually suffering.

They don’t know exactly why it comes to him in dreams

• PTSD can be hard to wrap your head around. 
• No one knows why certain people will get affected with PTSD and others don’t
• In Caleb’s case he gets flashback to the time. He will “freak out” and most of the time forget about the event some time later

Trauma is a contagious disease; it affects everyone that has close contact with a traumatized person

• Even if someone that is surrounded by PTSD doesn’t pick up the actions of that person there are still affected
• Those people have to view the pain that a loved one goes through during an episode
• Loved ones may have to work harder to satisfy someone affected by PTSD