The United States Department of Veterans affairs celebrates June as PTSD Awareness Month. This is why this is the perfect time to share awareness about the condition that haunts many lives.
Whether you are going through post-traumatic stress disorder or dealing with a family member’s PTSD conditions, the article is for you. Keep scrolling to find out what you should know about PTSD during PTSD Awareness Month.
Important information about PTSD Awareness Month
PTSD has become more common than ever!
The main victim of PTSD is the military forces and veterans of the United States deployed in the war against Afghanistan and Iraq during the freedom operations. The number of PTSD cases from US military personnel and veterans is increasing with every passing day. As a matter of fact, the evidence shows that Vietnam veterans are at 30% more risk of developing PTSD.
These numbers and evidence show that in the United States, millions of veterans are at risk of PTSD. Sharing the information means deliberately presenting to you the statistics that how commonly it can affect human life and how important it is to spread awareness about PTSD so the victims would not be left alone.
Causes of PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorders can result due to a variety of causes other than just traumatic life-threatening events. Veterans combat do face challenging traumatic situations on the war field but the military sexual trauma is something that takes them even further.
Veterans not only develop PTSD from their own traumatic experiences but the trauma their family and friends have faced. Sometimes, for instance, a veteran can develop PSD symptoms after knowing that a friend got shot while performing duty. In the events when there is no traumatic event that happened originally with the patient, the symptoms are more than real.
How does PTSD affect?
PTSD hits everyone differently. Many times, veterans affected by PTSD get triggered by the sound of a car alarm or fireworks. The seriousness of a PTSD attack also depends on personal experience. Different things can trigger PTSD symptoms in different people differently.
Not only this but the triggering trauma can ignite more than one symptom that makes it impossible for an observer to know what triggers a PTSD symptom in a victim.
During PTSD Awareness Month, it is important to remain aware of the symptoms and the certain situations that different PTSD sufferers take differently. This is why when a PTSD person says that a certain event triggers them, listen to them. As different people take different time to heal from the wounds they suffer or they see someone suffering in front of them. If you are someone that is suffering from PTSD, then do not get discouraged from seeing recovering at a faster pace than yours. Recovering from trauma can be a personalized thing and should not be related to someone else’s experience. Being a slow healer does not mean that you are failing the recovery process.
How does PTSD create new issues for suffering?
When someone lives with PTSD, say a military officer, veteran, or any other individual, they live with many other problems related to PTSD. The main problem occurs when a traumatic person doesn’t find help around him or her and gets addicted to drugs and starts taking alcohol to cope with their stress and heal the trauma. The drug abuse numbs the senses which eventually makes them feel better and at last they gradually find inner peace.
However, it becomes an addiction with time, and getting out of the trauma and then a drug addiction gets challenging for them. Addiction in turn leads the mental health to worse conditions and the symptoms of PTSD get severe.
Fatal pain or chronic injury strains also are the main factors that keep up with PTSD. Like normal pain, veterans when get hurt on the field, start taking pain killers and injections to come out of the pain. The continuous pain compels them to take painkillers regularly and then it turns into an addiction.
For this reason, the veterans need to receive care and prescriptions that help them treat both addiction and PTSD. With this procedure in hand, a complete recovery can be expected with no residual symptoms left.
How to help people suffering from PTSD?
Contrary to people’s belief, it is possible to help PTSD sufferers. This is one of the most terrifying misconceptions that people suffering from PTSD are untreatable. Misconceptions are related to veterans living with PTSD as well, that you cannot help them come out of their trauma as it is impossible to do so.
This is so important to understand in this world full of anxiety and depression, you need to be compassionate toward others. Even if you are not suffering from PTSD as a veteran or a common individual you must act as a resource to anybody that needs your attention or help. You can practice the following things to make difference in the people’s lives living with PTSD;
- Familiarize yourself with the treatments you can provide on the spot when you see someone triggered by a situation and going into a PTSD attack. This can happen to be with your loved ones or at a theater where someone’s action might remind something of someone.
- Listening to the veterans and sufferers of PTSD and supporting them whenever needed.
- Educate yourself and your surroundings about better handling of PTSD cases so the best treatment could be made possible.
Conclusion
Regardless of what your current status is and how you are coping with your life. Consider helping veterans living with PTSD as your responsibility. All you need to practice is the openness to the opportunities when you can help them. In June, a PTSD awareness month, this is the best time to join hands and help veterans when they are expecting our help the most and from the whole community.
If you know someone living with PTSD or drug abuse do your best to help them such as making appointments for them and listening to them when they want to talk.