One of the lesser known symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a sense of a foreshortened future. They may feel that they will not live long enough to experience certain milestones within a normal life cycle. Believing they will experience an early death effects their lives in several areas, including the manner in which they plan for the future.
How the Sense of a Foreshortened Future Varies with Age
Children with PTSD may believe that they will not live into adulthood. They may develop "omen formation" or the belief in their abilities to predict troublesome or unfavorable events.
As they grow into their teen years, they may feel there is no point in planning a future. They may choose not to attend college or learn a trade if they feel they will not live long enough to achieve career goals. Believing they are destined to die in a few years, they may participate in high-risk behaviors feeling their lives will be shortened regardless of how they live.
In early adulthood, those who suffer from PTSD may feel that they will not live long enough to find a future spouse. If they already have a family, they may fear that they might die before their children become adults. As they grow older, they may see no reason to take care of their health or plan more than five years ahead.
Older adults may assume that they will not outlive their spouse. They may sense that they will not live long enough to retire or see grandchildren.
Thoughts that Might Lead to a Sense of a Foreshortened Future
Some people with PTSD do not understand why they think they will have a shortened lifespan. Others feel that it is a miracle that they have lived as long as they have, considering the traumatic experiences they have survived. The traumatic experiences many people with PTSD have suffered have led them to expect more of the same, or worse. Their traumatic experiences have led them to feel an impending doom or to expect the worst, which may include an untimely death.
Survivor guilt may lead some PTSD sufferers to believe they are destined for an early death. If they survived accidents that had taken the lives of others, they may feel inappropriately guilty about surviving. They may tell themselves that it was unfair that they survived when others died. Such feelings are even stronger if they tell themselves that there must have been something that they could have done to prevent the accident or save some of the victims. Feeling that they should have been among those who died, they may believe they will eventually get what they think they deserve.
The Role of Psychotherapy in the Treatment of PTSD
In psychotherapy (or talk therapy), people with PTSD can learn to question the validity of the thoughts that lead them to have a sense of a foreshortened future. Once their therapists help them identify the irrational thoughts that lead them to feel they will live a short life, they can work on replacing their irrational thoughts with a realistic belief system. Examples of cognitive restructuring could include statements such as:
- "I'm not a fortune teller. I have no way of knowing that I will have an untimely death."
- "I have experienced a lot of trauma, but that doesn't mean I will continue to have a never-ending series of traumatic events."
- "I was abused as a child. Now I am an adult and I feel more empowered to protect myself."
- "Sometimes I think I will die at a young age, but I don't have to believe everything I tell myself."
- "I may feel an impending doom, but my feelings can't predict the future with certainty."
A Comprehensive Care Plan
A sense of a foreshortened future is just one symptom of PTSD and not all people with PTSD have this symptom. It is one of several PTSD symptoms and all the symptoms one experiences need to be addressed. Medication, stress management, techniques for coping with panic attacks, anger management, emotional regulation skills, and other therapeutic techniques can be included as part of a comprehensive care plan to treat PTSD.
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Arlington, VA: Author
- Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
- Maxmen, J. S., & Ward, N. G. (1995). Essential psychopathology and its treatment (2nd ed.). New York: Norton & Company.
- Williams, M. B., & Poijula, S. (2002). The PTSD workbook: Simple, effective techniques for overcoming traumatic stress symptoms. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Lorne Cansler - Lorne Cansler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 11 years of experience in the field of mental health. He has provided ...
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