PTSD Awareness Month
Written by Kaylee Morgan
Did you know June is PTSD awareness month? Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. We normally associate PTSD with war veterans, victims of abuse, or those who have experienced a car wreck, but PTSD is not strictly for these groups of people. Anyone can suffer from PTSD and the last couple of years through the pandemic, occurrence of racial violence, and increase in mass shootings have seen an increase in this mental health condition.
Because PTSD is a mental health problem, it will appear/be triggered differently with each individual experiencing symptoms. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, there are 4 types of PTSD symptoms:
- Reliving the event – nightmares, flashbacks, triggers
- Avoiding things that remind you of the event
- Having more negative thoughts and feelings than before the event – numb, forgetting details of event, anxiety, feeling guilt or shame
- Feeling on edge or keyed up – not sleeping, lack of focus, easily startled, coping with alcohol consumption or other substances
They have also conducted a study and found that children experiencing PTSD had the following symptoms:
- Children under 6 may get upset if their parents are not close by, have trouble sleeping, or act out the trauma in their play.
- Children ages 7 to 11 may also act out the trauma through play, drawings, or stories. Some have nightmares or become more irritable or aggressive. They may also want to avoid school or have trouble with schoolwork or friends.
- Children aged 12 to 18 have symptoms more similar to adults: depression, anxiety, withdrawal, or reckless behavior like substance abuse or running away.
PTSD is more common than you think. There are currently about 8 million people in the United States with PTSD. Treatment is possible for those who suffer with PTSD and it will look different for each individual. Some may begin to feel better after a couple of weeks, while others take months or even years. The key is reaching out and getting help when needed. Getting treatment as soon as you become aware of your symptoms is key to a faster “recovery” process. If you begin to have disturbing thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event for more than a month or you feel like you’re “out-of-control” you should seek professional and/or medical help.
The Department of Veteran Affairs is continually raising awareness for PTSD and if you want to partner alongside them, visit their website. They provide you with a daily task for the entire month of June to help bring awareness.
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, get help right away through one or more of these resources:
- Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
- Contact a minister, a spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
- Call a suicide hotline number — in the United States, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to reach a trained counselor. Use that same number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
- Make an appointment with your doctor or a mental health professional.
Again this is more common than you think, if you believe you’re alone in this, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Reach out to your loved ones if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms. Let us also make sure that we are caring for and loving one another. Check in with your people and make sure they know they are not alone.
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