Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that some people develop after seeing or living through an event that caused or threatened serious harm or death. PTSD may result in sleep problems, irritability, anger, recurrent dreams about the trauma, intense reactions to reminders of the trauma, disturbances in relationships, and isolation. Some people may recover a few months after the event, but for others it may take years. For some, PTSD may begin long after the events occur. However, PTSD can be treated.
HHS, along with the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense , are supporting new research to reveal the underlying causes of PTSD and related conditions, develop better tools to identify those at highest risk of developing the disorder, and develop new and better treatments and preventive interventions.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institute of Mental Health also offer a variety of resources designed to help people who suffer from PTSD, as well as aid their families and friends in better understanding and dealing with traumas aftermath. These resources include:
Connect With Rustys Story
We close out this four-part series with words from Rusty, who enlisted in the U.S. Army and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds he sustained in Afghanistan in June, 2010. Months later in January of 2011, the truck he was traveling in went off a bridge and fell fifty feet down a ravine. Rusty spent 16 months at a VA hospital and is paralyzed from the neck down. Rusty says that he, would rather have physical injuries than mental injuries any day.
Ptsd Awareness Month Not All Wounds Are Visible
June 1st marks the start of PTSD Awareness Month. A full month is dedicated to raising awareness about the treatment options available for post traumatic stress disorder. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.
How it started?
In 2010 a month was dedicated to the disorder to ensure those suffering from the invisible wounds of war receive proper treatment. Even though most PTSD treatments work, most people who suffer from the symptoms dont get the help they need. Statistics show that about 7 or 8 out of every 100 people will have PTSD at some point in their lives.
Although its not a new problem, its an important one. It has been speculated that its affected human beings since the beginning of time. Scholars have found evidence of PTSD in ancient Greco-Roman soldiers as far back as 3,000 B.C. In the American Revolutionary War, it was called Nostalgia. In the Civil War, it was called Soldiers Heart. In World War I, it was called Shell Shock. In World War II it was called Battle Fatigue. In Vietnam it was called Gross Stress Reaction, then changed to the current PTSD.
Different types of trauma
Different types of treatment
Raising awareness
Raising awareness is an effort that starts with everybody.
What are the symptoms?
For more information
Recommended Reading: Which Phobia Means You Have An Intense Fear Of Halloween
National Ptsd Awareness Day
National PTSD Awareness Day is a day dedicated to creating awareness regarding PTSD . It is acknowledged annually on June 27. The US Senate officially designated this day in 2010. In 2014 the Senate designated the whole month of June as PTSD Awareness Month.
In the US, 6.8% of adults will experience PTSD in their lifetimes with women twice as likely as men to experience it frequently as a result of sexual trauma. Veterans are another group highly likely to experience PTSD during their lives, with Vietnam War veterans at 30%, Gulf War veterans at 10%, and Iraq War veterans at 14%.
On this day, organizations that work with employees, consumers, and patients at risk for the condition work to get information about symptoms and treatments for it out to the public in the hopes that when more people know about the disease more people who suffer from it will get treatment. The US Department of Defense is one of the major organizations involved.
Ptsd And Trauma Treatment In Tennessee
At Cumberland Heights, weve been changing lives since 1966. We understand the connection between trauma, mental illness and addiction. It is our mission to help people to fully recover for life thats why weve created a curriculum rooted in proven, evidence-based modalities. Contact us for more information about our approach to trauma treatment.
You May Like: Pheritriphobia
What Are We Doing To Address The Opportunities For Improvement In Diagnosing And Treating Ptsd
CVB is working to identify the biological mechanisms underlying PTSD and developing treatment and prevention strategies to improve quality of life. The availability of validated biomarkers or companion diagnostics would allow clinicians to predict the likelihood that a given patient would respond to a given therapeutic, enabling personalized medicine for these conditions.
CVB has set an aggressive roadmap to ensure precision diagnosis and targeted therapeutics are a focus of national efforts and milestone-driven research. Efforts to improve research through a better understanding of genomics, sleep, biomarkers, imaging and innovative approaches to clinical trials are ongoing.
Inspiring Stories Of Service
Josh Sandor
Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Sandor was born and raised in the town of West Milford in northern New Jersey. After graduating from high school in 2001, Josh joined the Army at age 17. In August, he attended basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, to become a cavalry scout. I remember my recruiter trying to tell me about all of these great jobs and career paths I could take, and I had to stop him mid-sentence, Sandor recalls. I wanted to be a scout. I already knew that was what I wanted to do.
On September 11, 2001, Josh found himself on the qualifying range for rifle marksmanship when the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center began to unfold. In his words, Our chaplain came out to our range after a post-wide cease-fire was directed for all range operations. We all felt something was wrong and later, as our chaplain spoke, we knew our time on the range was not just to qualify, but to prepare for war
Joseph Whitaker
I led what many would consider an idyllic childhood, the second child of a growing family playing in the apple orchards of Pennsylvania with my siblings and friends. I was struggling inside, however, to win the approval of my disciplinarian father, which did not come easily. I preferred theater to sports, loved being gregarious and making others laugh, and while I had meaningful relationships with women, I knew I was gay from an early age.
Don’t Miss: What Is A Depression On A Topographic Map
National Ptsd Awareness Month
National PTSD Awareness Month is observed annually in June. The month is dedicated to raising awareness about the condition and how to access treatment. June 27th is also National PTSD Awareness Day.
According to the National Center for PTSD, between 7 and 8 percent of the population will experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder during their lifetime.
Men, women, and children can experience PTSD as a result of trauma in their lives. Events due to combat, accidents, disasters, and abuse are just a few of the causes of PSTD. No matter the reason, PTSD is treatable, but not everyone seeks treatment. There are resources available to help diagnosis PTSD and get help. There is no shame in seeking assistance.
HOW TO OBSERVE
If you or someone you know might be experiencing PTSD, visit these resources below, or seek professional care from a therapist who has experience treating PTSD.
How Can I Help Someone With Ptsd
When someone you care about has PTSD, it affects you too. You are probably spending time and energy to help your loved one cope. Even if your partner, family member, or friend with PTSD is getting treatment and getting better, you may still feel drained, worried, or even frustrated. You need support at the same time you are giving support.
Remember that you cant change someone. However, you can:
Recommended Reading: Feretrephobia
Ptsd Awareness Month No Stigma No Shame
A month of supports for and stories about those living with post-traumatic stress
Post-traumatic stress appears in many places. We see it in both active military members and Veterans. Those who have witnessed acts of violence during service, or been exposed to atrocities and multiple traumas. It appears in medical staff individuals forced to make hard decisions about who will get life support and who wont, like weve seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. It shows up in an Indigenous Veteran who has gone through both the Residential School System and military engagement. It emerges in a female service member who has experienced military sexual misconduct and now lives with that trauma. It can create sadness, fear, guilt, and a feeling of having lost control of ones life. People experiencing PTSD can feel hopeless.
Throughout this month, we will be sharing resources, information, and stories about living with post-traumatic stress. There is no shame in having it it often emerges from situations where our lives, or the lives of people for whom we are responsible, are threatened. The goal is to understand it, to manage its impacts and, eventually, to heal. There is hope, there are effective treatments, and a good life is possible.
Visit our website and social channels throughout the month for information, ideas, and supports in understanding and managing post-traumatic stress.
Behavioral Services Offered To Veterans In Orange County
Working Wardrobes VetNet Veteran Behavior Health Peer Navigation Support Services program is an innovative program developed for Veteran families living in Orange County. The Program aims to intervene early to identify barriers that interrupt the day-to-day life of veterans and their families. The Programs Peer Navigators conduct outreach to identify and engage unserved Veterans in the Community and link participants to Behavioral Health and Supportive Services providers.
The Veteran Behavior Health Peer Navigation Support Services program provides:
- Behavioral health screening
- Veteran Peer Navigation and Case Management
- Housing and Employment Resources
Don’t Miss: What Are The Three Stages Of Schizophrenia
Ptsd Affects Each Veteran Differently
In popular culture, the image of a veteran being startled by fireworks or a car alarm is a familiar one. And while many military personnel do experience PTSD in these ways, just as many have completely different triggers. Because different trauma creates different triggers, it is impossible for an outside observer to know what will re-ignite post-traumatic stress in a veteran. This PTSD Awareness Month, its important to know that PTSD comes in many different forms and affects different people in different ways.
For this reason, listen to veterans when they tell you that a certain situation is too much for them. Healing from invisible wounds of war takes time, and different people heal at different rates. If youre a veteran yourself, dont feel discouraged if someone seems to recover more quickly than you do. Recovering from trauma is a highly personalized process, and being a slow healer does not mean that you are failing at recovery.
Do You Need More Information About Ptsd
Our website has lots of information about PTSD to arm you with the knowledge and details you need to understand the condition, be able to explain it to your friends and family better and, ultimately, to help guide you to the support and treatment you may need. Below are some direct links to some of the most common questions we are asked.
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Anyone exposed to trauma can develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and it can cause a wide variety of physical, mental and emotional symptoms find out more about PTSD on this page here.
I think I might have PTSD, what should I do?
If you recognise some of the symptoms of PTSD in yourself, its really important to speak to someone if you feel you can. This might be a friend or loved one initially, but seeing a medical professional will also allow you to get a full diagnosis, understand your condition better, and most importantly, find out what treatment options are available for you. Find out more about what to do if you think you have PTSD on this page here.
I think my loved one has PTSD, what can I do?
I’ve just been told I have PTSD, what can I do next?
What treatments are available for PTSD in the UK?
What can I do to ease my PTSD symptoms?
Don’t Miss: Does Celine Dion Have An Eating Disorder
Ptsd Creates New Issues
When a service member lives with PTSD, they also live with all of the problems that it creates. For example, if you are a veteran who cannot find help, you might feel tempted to use drugs or alcohol to cope with your symptoms. While that impulse is understandable, this kind of behavior can quickly spiral into addiction. Addiction, in turn, can worsen your mental health, leading to even worse signs and symptoms of PTSD.
Chronic pain is another important factor that often comes alongside PTSD. When veterans are injured during service, they may start using prescription painkillers to handle the pain, which in turn can lead to painkiller addiction. For this reason, its important that veterans receive care that treats both PTSD and addiction. This way, you can make a full recovery that does not leave any residual issues unaddressed.
Help Raise Ptsd Awareness
There are currently about 8 million people in the United States with PTSD.
Even though PTSD treatments work, most people who have PTSD don’t get the help they need. Everyone with PTSDwhether they are Veterans or civilian survivors of sexual assault, serious accidents, natural disasters, or other traumatic eventsneeds to know that treatments really do work and can lead to a better quality of life.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Meaning Of Phobia
Depicting The Invisible: A Portrait Series Of Veterans Suffering From Ptsd
Depicting The Invisible: A Portrait Series of Veterans Suffering From PTSD by artist Susan J. Barron opens to the public on April 3. Barron was inspired to create the portrait series after hearing that 22 Veterans commit suicide every day in our country.
My intention is to bring awareness to the issues of PTSD and to depict our Veterans as the incredible heroes they are, said Barron. My mission is to provide a platform for Veterans to share their stories, and to create a vehicle for help and change.
Her series of 14 hauntingly beautiful six-foot by six-foot, mixed media works on canvas are created through a combination of photographic imagery, paint and text including each Veterans story. Each Veteran in these portraits makes unflinching eye contact with the viewer to showcase them as powerful and vulnerable as they share the truth of their realities in their own words.
Depicting The Invisible is shown at the museum as part of our ongoing mission to share the Veteran experience through their own stories. We are partnering with Susan J. Barron to create a dialogue and community around the stigmas associated with wars invisible scars to show these brave individuals they are not alone, end their isolation and represent them as the heroes they are.
How The Public Can Support The Cause Of Ptsd Awareness Month
During the month of June, people can support PTSD awareness in numerous ways.
Anyway can start by wearing a PTSD ribbon. Wearing the teal ribbon will show others your support of those who live with PTSD and your desire to bring awareness to the subject.
Another way to support this cause is by guiding people to information and resources about PTSD provided by the National Center for PTSD.
PTSD is not a weakness it is a condition that requires treatment, and there are plenty of treatment options available. With more awareness around this mental health condition, the hope is that there will be less embarrassment about the condition.
Shame and embarrassment are some of the reasons why people avoid getting treatment. They feel like theyre supposed to overcome their feelings on their own, but with something as life-altering as PTSD, treatment is needed.
Treatment options include counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other types of psychotherapy sessions.
You May Like: Depression And Appetite
Quick Facts About Post
Contrary to what many people think, PTSD is not exclusive to veteransor even those who have suffered extreme trauma. Likewise, experiencing trauma does not mean that someone will develop PTSD.
PTSD can develop in many people for many different reasons. And with that in mind, here are some interesting facts and figures that show what PTSD looks like by the numbers:
There are many potential causes of PTSD, including serious accidents, abuse or assault, health problems, and even tangential exposure to a traumatic event, such as knowing someone who went through trauma. Veterans are at high risk, as are first responders like EMTs and firefighters.
Ptsd Has A Variety Of Causes
Even among veterans, post-traumatic stress can result for a variety of traumatic life events. Combat exposed veterans face increased risk, as do veterans who experience military sexual trauma. But the different causes go even further than that.
Sometimes, veterans develop PTSD not due to their own trauma, but trauma that their friends or family have experienced. For example, a veteran may develop PTSD symptoms after learning that a friend was injured in the line of duty. In cases like this, the PTSD symptoms are no less real, even though the initial trauma did not happen to the individual.
Don’t Miss: What Is A Phobia Of Spoons Called