Researchers May Have Found a Vaccine for PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD as it is commonly referred to, is a psychiatric disorder. This disorder can occur when one has experienced or witnessed a life-threatening event or series of events, such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault.

In a recent study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in conjunction with Massachusetts General Hospital a vaccine is being tested on lab rats that would allegedly help battle the disorder. The vaccine would block a naturally produced hormone called ghrelin inside your stomach to reduce the amount of stress the patient is subject to.

“You would get a shot, and for a year it would lower your ghrelin levels,” Ki Goosens, an assistant professor of neuroscience at M.I.T, explained.

The worry with the vaccine’s production is that it would not treat the underlying problem of the deep rooted stress, instead it’s more of a band-aid fix. Another worrisome factor is that the vaccine could possibly effect the patient’s metabolism, since ghrelin is used to convert food into energy. As of now the vaccine is still in the testing phases and has not yet been approved to be given to people.