PTSD can come from a single event or several over a quick span of time. By quick let's say for example four traumatic events in about 4-5 years. The closer to home or the emotional connection the more likely. If given stand down time and a few years of allowing the mind to file things where they belong so to speak PTSD may never happen at all.
On the other hand if the person themselves is dealing with issues such as injuries or even undetected and unknown to them neurological issues that in itself increases Stress the brain is dealing with. If one or the other had happened the brain would handle it.. But it becomes like pouring water in a cup how much can it hold? Or a computer how many task can it do simultaneously without freezing up?
It's not a man up thing. It's not a matter of it even being phobic behavior many times. The person knows something can't hurt them but the brain which is geared for self preservation demands appropriate responses to what it see's as danger and doesn't care how you feel.
I'm afraid of only two things. Heights and poisonous snakes. But why heights? It got worse as I aged BTW. The brain runs it's own checks and balances of your body and all the senses it takes to function. Your Inner Ear can be damaged and you not realize it but yet have a fear of heights that gets worse. The brains inner workings knows there is an issue in balance even if you don't.
The brain & not you sets your subconscious limits as to what it sees as safe or unsafe to do. If you force the issue the primitive fight/flight part of the brain is activated. The brain is saying stop I see danger. Each time you respond inappropriately the stronger the survival portion activates. I am not talking about the same thing as Phobic fears due from say a fear of driving due to a wreck. That can be treated the thing I am talking about can not.
Balance comes from the Labyrinth and Inner Ear. This in part determines also how loud something can sound to you. It can determine even how you walk. It also tells you Hey you have poor balance get off the roof, climb down the ladder. I use a cane now for balance. When I was about 12 therapist were working with me so I could walk a balancing beam a foot off the floor. It can go back to early childhood and be caused by simple sinus allergies or ear infections.
So why weren't previous vets bothered as much by noise? Many things changes most notable is the technology expansion from the 1960's on. TV went from B&W one or two scenes with a conservation in a living room being a show to color TV to high action TV and high definition. That has happened since my childhood and I'm 56. TV is but one piece. Roads are more crowded and traffic requires far more concentration. Your brain is juggling more and more task than your dad was. Video games were low tech even in the mid 1980's today they are virtual reality.
Go to any store and try to shop and keep you focus on it. Lowes for example. You go in and think let's see now I need 20 2X4's and "Someone in plumbing come to register six". I need 20 2X4's and "lawn and Garden line one". I need 20 2X4's and "Beep Beep Beep Beep excuse me Sir were closing this asile to use the forklift". Each time your thought process is distracted. Same thing at Walmart. Let's see I need a furnace filter and "Electronics Line One" I need furnace filters and "I need a member of management to receiving". You get the idea.
Now most persons can juggle it fairly easy. Someone with Inner Ear issues? Nope because your concentration and ability to handle several processes at once become difficult. Watch next time you go in and see who gets agitated when the announcements start. Watch for persons leaving cart with stuff in them and heading for the door. They likely have no clue what is bothering them except they want the heck out of their.
Now a person with PTSD may not even have this issue because their Vestibular System and sensory processing is intact. It would be much easier to treat in that case. But if they have Vestibular issues and PTSD the Vestibular issues can play on the PTSD or make it seem the sounds are triggering PTSD when in reality they are triggering Panic Attacks because the guy has neurological damage with his PTSD.
The worse part is the doctors who treat PTSD are clueless to this or even the link of Panic Attacks many times actually being Vestibular dysfunction. I don't get scared I get agitated. The PTSD for me was different. It was like someone popped in a bad movie of some things I went through and a dread it was going to happen again or having to relive it up to several times a day especially when I was tired and needed to get some sleep. I wasn't ever in combat. I did 4 and got out. Did a year in the Army NG and got out.
I lost my 1st wife when she was 23 to a heart attack. I then met someone else and got serious. On a date of sorts she becomes a quadriplegic and nearly dies getting to the ER. Doc says she'll never walk and he was right. We marry and she has two teenagers. A couple years later I get the parents dreaded call a car wreck one of them hurt bad. I drive to the scene as the R.S. and FD is covering her body. The car is totaled and it was her side hit. I look at the car and thnk the worse. Paramedic I knew walks up and says she's alive but we got to cut her out. At hospital doc says she may never walk again after he has tried to rebuild her knee cap. After that wife nearly dies again from medication adverse reaction. Then after that I have a wreck. Woman in Honda Accordion rear ends my 78 K-5. I get out to check and her baby is in front seat eyes closed. It was a hard hit. I freak thinking kid is hurt. No the baby slept through it. A month later WHAM!!!! One person yells at someone down the hall from me at work and I about go through the ceiling. Then came the brain fog. I'd done had one episode before a few months earlier driving down the interstate that lasted about 30 minutes. This time it wasn't stopping. I called in a relief worker and a ride home.
That was 20 years ago.
The pieces I have learned has taken years. Mental Health professionals the ones who deal with PTSD do not look deep for other causes or other disorders that may be conflicting each other. That is why I'm saying a long term reaction to sounds even after being treated for PTSD points to a potential other issue. That issues to live with it and half way function takes understanding it and going against for the most part the textbook treatments being used because it is non phobic. It also makes a very huge difference in the types of meds used.
The nature of combat rather the environmental noise of combat is where a person would expect to get Inner Ear damage.
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