June is PTSD Awareness Month
For someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a traumatic experience – like combat or sexual assault – has imprinted itself on the brain so seriously that it affects everyday life in very painful, debilitating ways. Disturbing thoughts, memories, and emotions from the trauma can linger, making it extremely difficult to move on with life. Trouble sleeping, high anxiety, flashbacks, and nightmares are common. Some experience depression, discomfort in large crowds, and hypervigilance.
But as dramatic as these symptoms sound, PTSD is not always obvious. And despite its invisibility, there are many misconceptions and fears about the condition, particularly for veterans.
Our remarkable staff assist veterans and people challenged by PTSD as well as other life-altering obstacles like homelessness, substance use, and mental illness. A range of 11-30% of veterans have PTSD, depending on when and where they served.
According to the National Center for PTSD, about 60% of men and 50% of women experience at least one incidence of trauma in their lives. Nearly everyone who experiences a traumatic event will have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping and may experience PTSD symptoms for a period of time. PTSD symptoms often resolve on their own over time. For others, however, the symptoms persist. PTSD is diagnosed when the symptoms last for at least one month.
Even though PTSD treatments work, many people don’t get the help they need. June 27 is PTSD Screening Day, and we encourage others to let people know about this.
The National Center for PTSD and Mental Health America have PTSD self-assessment tools available online. For additional resources, please visit Home Base.