PTSD National Awareness Day

National PTSD Awareness Day is June 27th. The US Senate officially designated this day in 2010 and in 2014, designated the entire month of June as PTSD Awareness Month. 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I didn’t know what it was until my first experience with it that led to my very own symptoms. When you hear about PTSD, you typically think it is exclusive to our men and women in uniform.

Consequently, my first exposure to PTSD involved the military. As a former military wife, my first ex-husband went on a spiral where he became homicidal, suicidal, and what I learned to be Bipolar and depressed. I did not know anything about mental illness back then. I was just happy to escape with my life regardless of showing symptoms for quite some time, always having to take extra steps to watch my back.

According to the PTSD Foundation of America, an estimated 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, while about 30 percent of service members who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD. Typically, only 50 percent of PTSD sufferers seek treatment.

I’m here to tell you that PTSD is silent and it is not exclusive to any one group. According to the MAYO Clinic, PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms can vary over time or vary from person to person. 

My first of many experiences became a catalyst for learning about mental illness. It is the very reason I advocate for mental health awareness. When someone you care about becomes incapacitated due to their exposure to trauma, and it becomes expressed with a level of terror and violence, or even with muted subtle symptoms, we must come together as a collective to encourage awareness for those suffering and offer safety when seeking help. We must understand that not everyone will feel safe enough to seek help and treatment. 

If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time, get help right away through one or more of these resources:

• Reach out to a close friend or loved one that you can trust.
• Contact a minister, a spiritual leader or someone in your faith community.
• Contact a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat. Services are free and confidential.
• Make an appointment with your doctor or a mental health professional.

This mental health article is generously sponsored by Izzie Chea, Founder and CEO of the Accountable Otters Club, helping people navigate life between boredom and burnout with accountability and care.