Thank you for this question. It must be challenging but also meaningful to be in veterinary medicine with PTSD. I'm impressed that you are keenly aware of the role of stress in your health and to do something about it. There are many ways in which stress -- experiencing stressors as well as our responses to them -- can affect our aging process, and it is probably not an understatement to say that stress response engages all of our bodily systems. PTSD is a precursor to age-related health conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes) , is associated with accelerated biological aging, and highly comorbid with other psychiatric conditions. You mentioned being triggered often in your day-to-day work and acknowledged your career as high-risk -- do these triggering situations involve experiencing flashbacks or intrusive thoughts about your trauma? what is the impact of your job on your mood, thinking, ability to have meaningful relationships, and ability to accomplish goals that are important to you? I wonder what the cost-benefit calculus is for pursuing this line of work, and whether there are ways to have the same or similar benefits without such costs?

Researchers are just beginning to understand the behavioral pathways linking PTSD to age-related diseases. Are you taking time to allow your body to rest and recuperate from stressors - good quality sleep, physical activity, and doing activities that allow your physiological systems to take a break from being triggered (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, yoga)? Are you nourishing yourself with a healthy diet, avoiding toxic exposures (e.g., cigarette smoking), and spending time in nature? Are your needs for connection and intimacy met?