June is PTSD Awareness Month. Everyone with PTSD—whether they are Veterans or civilians who experienced sexual violence, a serious accident, a disaster event, or other traumatic event—needs to know that effective treatments can reduce symptoms and lead to a better quality of life.
What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD is a psychiatric condition that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event or series of traumatic events. The individual often experiences the event or events as emotionally or physically harmful or life-threatening. Examples include, but are not limited to, abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat exposure, intimate partner violence, and medical illness.*
Shawn Gianforte, MSBA, LCSW, PTSD programs manager for VA Western New York Healthcare System, says that PTSD is not a broken brain.
“One way to think of the symptoms related to PTSD (hypervigilance, hyperarousal, startle response, fight or flight, etc.) are natural responses to unnatural events,” he said. “While about 6% of civilians and 7% of Veterans (30% for combat Veterans) are diagnosed with PTSD, most do not seek treatment.”
*American Psychiatric Association
About 1 out of every 20 adults in the U.S. (or 5% of Americans) has PTSD in any given year. Even though PTSD treatments work, most people who have PTSD don’t get the help they need.
The Anti-Stigma Coalition will host a Facebook Live on June 24 at noon to educate the community about PTDS and Trauma. The event—titled Healing Beyond Trauma: Understanding PTSD and Overcoming Trauma—is free and open to the public.
Panelists include Cindy Goss, founder, CEO, Catch a Falling Star, Tammy Kling, LCSW, Clear Skies Counseling LCSW PLLC, and Eric Krupczyk, Peer Support Specialist, VA WNY PTSD Program.
Christopher Ramnauth, LCSW, community engagement and partnership coordinator, suicide prevention for VA Western New York Healthcare System will moderate the program.
A common misconception is that PTSD is only experienced by military personnel. According to the Wounded Warrior Project, PTSD can develop after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event or life-threatening situation. Some symptoms can include:
- Intrusive memories.
- Nightmares.
- Avoidance.
- Hypervigilance.
- Sleep problems.
- Changes in mood, relationships, or daily functioning.
According to Gianforte, other traumatic events include, but are not limited to, abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat exposure, intimate partner violence, and medical illness.
“More importantly is understanding what a traumatic event is—a person was exposed to death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, in the following way(s),” he said.
“Direct exposure, witnessing the trauma, learning a relative or close friend was exposed to a trauma, indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, medics).”
He also noted that most people who experience traumatic events do not go on to develop PTSD.
June 27th is PTSD Screening Day to to encourage self-screeing and seeking help for PTSD. For anyone experiencing symptoms, taking a self-screen is a first step to recovery.
