Hi Dan,

There is no measure for who will vs. will not develop PTSD. About 20% +/- get PTSD from operations at present. You can have two people at the same time experience the same event, yet one might get PTSD, the other won't. Why? Because its about how the person processes the information within the event basically speaking.

The best way to truly help oneself prevent getting PTSD, is that they must be honest and talk about their true emotions, pain, suffering, what they truly feel. If a person locks it up tight without releasing it, the chances of getting PTSD just increased 10 fold. It doesn't matter whether genetics have a role in it or not, PTSD can be prevented if a person talks everything trauma related out, they find resolve, understanding, realistic conclusions, commonsense approaches, etc.

If he is not judged, but instead encouraged to talk openly about everything and anything he experiences, then he stands a greater chance of not developing PTSD. The problem with operations though is the time frame. You can actually watch a persons attitude change in location, they go in one person, come out another. The problem because of the time factor is that family don't have access to them, nor they to their family for real emotional discussion, instead even whilst writing, phone, internet, and so forth, their peers, soldiers, mates and team are around them judging their reactions. If they cry and get emotional their mates might cuss them instead of help them. To be strong is to be emotional, far from what the military instil.

The facts are though, the military don't want emotional upon the battlefield, because emotional doesn't kill the enemy. Its really a two fold effect.