The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has designated June as PTSD Awareness Month and The United States Senate has designated June 27th as National PTSD Awareness Day.
PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life threatening event such as combat, a natural disaster, a car accident or sexual assault. Everyone with PTSD whether they are a Veteran or civilian, needs to know there are effective treatment options available to them to help improve the quality of his or her life.
According to recent PTSD studies provided by PTSD United, nearly 8% of all Americans have PTSD; that’s 24.4 million people. They also reported that Soldiers with symptoms of PTSD once faced rejection by their military peers or were feared by society in general. They were often labeled as weak and were removed from combat zones.
According to the VA nearly 20% of all Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, up to 10% of all Gulf War veterans and up to 30% of all Vietnam War veterans have experienced PTSD. Consequently, the demand for treatment continues to grow.
Tragically, one active duty military personnel and 22 veterans commit suicide every single day. These alarming statistics prove that most people with PTSD do not get the help they need.
Help bring awareness about PTSD and the effective treatment options that are available by picking up a PTSD Awareness ribbon at church.
Pledge to raise awareness by wearing your ribbon throughout the month of June. To learn more about available treatment options and ways you can help click here. There is also a daily events calendar posted on the on the referenced link. Some of the daily events include posting the PTSD Treatment awareness banner on your Facebook page and doing something as simple as reaching out to a veteran.
Raising awareness can help make a difference in the life of a Veteran or any other person who has experienced trauma. Your awareness could just save a life!