National PTSD Awareness Month

There is no timestamp on trauma. There isn't a formula that you can insert yourself into to get from horror to healed. Be patient. Take up space. Let your journey be the balm.”

– Dawn Serra

National PTSD Awareness month started as only being observed on one day, June 27th , in 2010. The date honors Staff Sergeant Joe Biel, a North Dakota National Guard member who died by suicide after completing his second tour of duty in Iraq and then struggling badly with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In 2014, the effort expanded into a month-long observance, becoming what we now know as PTSD Awareness Month.

The goal was to give individuals and communities more time and opportunity to educate others, host events, and increase visibility for trauma survivors. PTSD is a mental health condition that results from a sudden and short-term traumatic event, such as a natural disaster, assault, or car accident.

CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) can occur when a traumatic event is prolonged or persistent, like repeated abuse or torture, or the initial PTSD symptoms go unresolved for a long time and there are more traumatic instances.

• Around 3.5% of adults in the United States experience PTSD annually. An estimated 1 in 11 individuals will receive a PTSD diagnosis during their lifetime.

• Around  6% of the U.S. population will develop PTSD at some stage in their lives, with an estimated 5% of adults experiencing it in a given year.

PTSD has the potential to affect people from various backgrounds and isn’t limited to any specific demographic. It can occur at any age. Being informed about a friend’s or family member’s traumatic experiences can also trigger PTSD. Anyone can develop PTSD and there are many ways to receive help for recovery.

Symptoms can vary for each person and everyone’s situation is different. They can include traumatic flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of specific places or activities, startled responses or feelings of guilt, shame and anger. It can be difficult to be asked about trauma and hurt when all we want to do is lock it away in the back of our minds and never speak of it again.

But what we must remember is that we are worthy of being helped. Seeking help can be as simple as a search online for resources in your community or a number to a hotline.

This Month's Journal topic: If the only thing you were allowed to do tomorrow was go to a therapy session, knowing that you wouldn’t feel any negative emotion from a past trauma ever again after the session, what past situation would you start healing first? What trauma would you heal the following week?“

Sources

https://www.healthline.com/health/cptsd

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/didnt-know-about-cptsd#8

https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/didnt-know-about-cptsd#10