Understanding and Supporting PTSD
June is National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month and serves to bring more understanding to the disorder, which affects around 6.8% of adults in the United States. PTSD is a condition that people can develop after going through or seeing a traumatic event that gives them symptoms such as flashbacks. Having this awareness month helps reduce the stigmas that can be associated with PTSD and brings more awareness to those affected by it while providing valuable resources.
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress Disorder is a mental condition that can occur after someone goes through or witnesses a traumatic event. While PTSD is often associated with veterans who have seen active combat, it extends to anyone who has seen or been through trauma. Some more common situations that cause someone to develop PTSD can include surviving an assault, abuse, accidents, or any life-threatening event.
Some of the common symptoms caused by PTSD can include:
- Flashbacks
- Dreams of the traumatic event
- Avoiding reminders of the event
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Trouble concentrating
- Mood changes
- Hypervigilance
Like other mental health conditions, there are a lot of misconceptions that surround PTSD. It is important to remember that having PTSD is not something that makes you weak, and everyone has their way of processing and healing from trauma. A common misconception is that people with PTSD can be unstable or dangerous to be around; however, they are people who are trying to cope with the deep trauma in their way, and they deserve to be approached with empathy and compassion.
Why PTSD Awareness Month Matters
PTSD Awareness Month is here to bring more awareness and visibility so that those who are currently suffering from PTSD can receive more understanding of their condition and help them know that they are not alone and have support. The awareness month for PTSD was first campaigned by Senator Kent Conrad in 2010, who wanted June 27th to be National PTSD Awareness Day to honor Staff Sergeant Joe Biel, who suffered from PTSD. Later in 2014, the US Senate designated June as the official PTSD Awareness Month.
The VA has played a large role in supporting PTSD Awareness Month by helping to bring awareness to people with PTSD and how it affects their daily lives. They also provide resources and can help with treatment early on. With the help of organizations like the VA, more awareness can be spread about PTSD and information that can help those who have someone in their lives with PTSD or someone who is struggling with PTSD themselves. This, in turn, can make knowledge about PTSD more accessible for whoever needs it and allow people to know how to support those who are struggling with their PTSD.
Who is Affected?
Anyone can be affected by PTSD. While there are many veterans and active duty members who are affected by PTSD, it can happen to anyone who has been through trauma and can even develop from highly stressful situations. It is estimated that 3.9% of the world population has experienced PTSD within their lifetimes. Those who experience violence are three times more likely to experience PTSD, and those who have experienced sexual violence also have a high risk of experiencing PTSD.
PTSD can also affect:
- Anyone who has experienced trauma
- Domestic violence survivors
- Survivors of sexual assault
- Teens and kids who have experienced trauma
- First responders
- Healthcare workers
The following is a poem that gives some perspective on what living with PTSD can be like:
Jude Kyrie Dec 2015
PTSD
The war followed me home.
It penetrated my skin like nerve gas
Nobody could see it but it was there.
It sits by my feet like a dog.
When I go to bed with you
It lies between us keeping us apart.
I try to scrub it from my skin
In the shower but it won’t come off.
Like a heavy-breathing prank call
It pants in my ear as I sleep.
Sometimes it shows me how strong it is
And holds the front door shut
and I cannot open it to go out.
At night, just before bedtime
It passes me a handful of meds
I take them and swallow them
But I never ever look
straight into its eyes.
How to Show Support
It is important to show those with PTSD compassion and understanding when supporting them. Here are a few things that you can do to support someone with PTSD:
- Practice active listening without judgment
- Educate yourself and others on PTSD
- Recognize triggers. E.g., loud noises, etc
- Please encourage them to talk to a professional
- Help with healthy coping habits
- Promoting mental health knowledge
Resources for PTSD
Those who are struggling with PTSD can benefit greatly from seeking professional help. Some of the therapies that can help with PTSD are:
- EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Support Groups
Here are some resources that can give more information on PTSD and determine whether you should seek help for potentially having PTSD:
- PTSD Self-Screen test: PTSD Self-Screen - PTSD: National Center for PTSD
- Determine if you should see a professional about potentially having PTSD.
- 5 questions. If you answer yes to 3 or more, reach out to a mental health care provider:
- American Psychiatric Association website: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd
- Learn more about PTSD and what kinds of treatments are available.
- Child Sexual Abuse Resources: https://www.bergmanlegal.com/child-sexual-abuse-resources/
- Learn more about the signs and symptoms, as well as the resources and treatments available to help.
Crisis Hotlines & Immediate Support
Utah Crisis Line
- Call: 988 or 801-587-3000. Press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line or text 838255
- Free and confidential support
- Suicide prevention, mental health resources, and crisis information
- Non-judgmental, compassionate guidance
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
- Call: 800-656-HOPE (4673) or Chat: online.rainn.org
- Confidential support for survivors of sexual assault
- Online chat option and access to local resources
Awareness is part of the Healing Process
PTSD is something that anyone can experience, and everyone has their own ways of coping. It takes a lot of strength to go through every day when experiencing PTSD, even if not everyone can see the turmoil on the inside from the outside. PTSD awareness month has an important message that while recovering from trauma is hard, healing is possible, and you do not have to struggle with PTSD alone.
With the education that we receive from learning about conditions like PTSD, we can provide more compassionate and non-judgmental support to those in our lives and ourselves. This also presents an opportunity to create safe, stigma-free healing spaces, allowing those who are struggling to receive compassionate care and support. Compassion and being aware of how conditions like PTSD affect people help create and encourage the healing process after going through trauma.
“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” - Akshay Dubey
